The only bright spot on the Wildcats last season...He should have stayed another year. He would have been a lottery lock next year...no question

Rondo passes the speed limit
Celtics rookie is off to a fast start
By Shira Springer, Globe Staff | October 13, 2006

Rajon Rondo does not always move at hyper speed. Sometimes he can be downright slow. Honest.

It is clear the Celtics have someone special in Rondo.

Despite Rivers mixing and matching players and projected starters receiving limited, if any, playing time, the Celtics left Canada with a better understanding of who they are and what they can do. Even though Boston is only two games into the preseason, some conclusions about the team can be reached. Rondo's potential to make an impact is obvious, but there are other noticeable changes to take from the two-game trip:

Rondo is for real.

He appears anything but an ordinary rookie and might be the fastest player in the NBA. But beyond his speed, Rondo possesses the maturity, poise, and pass-first mentality that make for a successful point guard in the NBA. He looks comfortable running the team. More impressive than his 29 points, 5 assists, or 12 trips to the free throw line against the Raptors was that on a night in which the Celtics committed 38 turnovers (for 52 points), Rondo had one.

``It seems like he's been playing in the league for a couple years already," said Paul Pierce. ``He's calm out there. He understands the tempo and the style we're trying to play."

There will be nights when Rondo looks less roadrunner and more pedestrian. He might hit the rookie wall in February or March. Following the loss in Toronto, Rondo acknowledged the biggest adjustment from college to the NBA has been ``the minutes with the game so long." But after Pierce, Rondo appears to be the Celtic most capable of changing the complexion of a game.