Shaquille O'Neal has been around the block a few times, and he knows what it takes to succeed in the NBA. Shaq also knows what kind of players are good and which ones are better than others. According to him, Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo is the superior player when compared to New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul.
Rondo and Paul have had their names tied to a potential trade that would see the two young superstars swap teams, as Celtics GM Danny Ainge has been hard at work trying to make a Rondo-for-Paul swap to ease the scoring load for Paul Pierce. O'Neal appeared on the Toucher & Rich morning show on 98.5 The Sports Hub to give his two cents.
"Everyone is tradeable, you could probably get a lot for Rajon Rondo but he is the heart and soul of the team," retired star Shaquille O'Neal told 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher and Rich. "I don't think that would be a good idea. If I was the general manager, I wouldn't do it."
"Chris Paul is not better than Rajon Rondo... Rajon Rondo is the true definition of a point guard, period," said O'Neal. "He gets everybody involved and he scores when he has to. Chris Paul scores a lot of points, but when was the last time they made it to the playoffs? Thank you very much." (via CBS Boston)
That's pretty high praise from O'Neal, who played with Rondo and the Celtics last season. While Rondo may have a slight edge when it comes to actually running the point, it's clear that Paul is the superior scorer - something the Celtics will desperately need as the Big Three era comes to a grinding halt.
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