i see what you’re getting at but i can only respond randomly because it’s my eye test and that’s a lot of questions. i’ll give you a playoff triple double threat older and younger than rondo and tell you why i think for leading a team in the playoffs rondo is as good or better than either.
rondo, kidd, westbrook are all ball dominant. first, westbrook is i think a selfish player who uses his supreme determination, athleticism and usage to get his assists. i don’t penalize him for that, it’s a preference what i think is normal and realistic over a long series. he gets around a guy and his team isn’t sure he’s going to shoot or pass. rondo’s teammates are always running and cutting hard getting to their spots. i don’t see that with westbrook. he always has the ball deep in the clock and commits a lot of turnovers. yeah he scores, but he shot a crap percentage in the playoffs. he’s doesn’t fascilitate an offense as much as he dumps the ball off imo. yes the recipient is in good position if he gets penetration and that’s great. but think of the energy it takes to penetrate every play. he had seasons where he basically did that, but it’s not as adaptive for a series where teams will adjust. with rondo you can’t really adjust, he can force assists 4 against 5 even when they lay off him. that’s an elite type of facilitating.
kidd was as unselfish as anyone ever, but he couldn’t spin the ball like rondo. i mean he couldn’t force assists as good as rondo, although if you turn your head he’d burn you. but everyone had to be running or cutting for it to work and he had that system in nj. he was also not a threat to take it to the rim like rajon. rondo is very underrated around the rim, and this has to do with his changing speeds and spinning the ball. he’s one of the craftiest players to ever play imo.
yes i would take rondo over either player if i’m trying to win a series. you remember just a few years ago rondo was going to beat the celtics with that bulls team until he got injured? you remember how people said he was controlling the games, and then he goes down they lose 4 straight. that is the main reason i think he is great. with lesser talent he can still control the game, and win. not anyone can do that.
for degree of difficulty, and forcing things that don’t appear there, he has to be one of the best passers ever. he’s also (not even close imo) the best delayed break facilitator i’ve ever seen. he can throw curve balls to guys in the corner for 3 who barely knew they were open or going to shoot until the ball promptly arrives fooling a scattering defense.
what’s more, he has many playoff “moments”. the kind of plays that define a game or a series. the dive against jay williams, the behind the back against lebron, the fake behind the pass finger roll he did many times. when i think of westbrook and kidd, i don’t recall nearly half of the moments that i can for rondo. edit - i’d probably put him in the top 5 for playoffs in modern times, behind magic, stockton, parker, dj. yes, ahead of gp.