Basketball debates are at their best when they are genuinely surprising, and Charlie Villanueva delivered exactly that on a recent episode of “To The Baha,” a live basketball talk show hosted by Theo Pinson, Raymond Felton, and Villanueva himself.
When the question of choosing between Rajon Rondo and Damian Lillard to start a franchise came up, the 11-year NBA veteran did not hesitate.
Why Charlie Villanueva Picked Rajon Rondo Over Damian Lillard
Villanueva’s reasoning for picking Rondo over Lillard was personal and direct. He said, “I’m picking Rondo. Because I want to score… meaning, I like to score. So, who’s gonna give me the ball? F***** Rondo. If I’m starting a franchise, I’m picking Rondo, because to me… I value more, the passing ability, the basketball mind versus having a superstar… The main question is, is Rondo a superstar?”
It is a take that will divide opinion, and Villanueva knows it. On raw numbers alone, the comparison between the two is not particularly close.
Lillard averaged 25.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game across 900 regular-season games. He also earned nine All-Star selections, won Rookie of the Year in 2012-13, and became one of the most lethal late-game scorers in league history.
Rondo, by contrast, averaged 9.8 points, 7.9 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game over a 16-year career. He was a facilitator through and through, with scoring never the centerpiece of his game.
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But Villanueva’s point is not about raw output. It is about what he values as a player.
A scorer himself, averaging 10.4 points per game across 656 NBA games, Villanueva wants a point guard who prioritizes putting teammates in position to succeed. And on that front, Rondo’s case is genuinely compelling.
The Kentucky product led the league in assists three times, earned four All-Defensive Team selections, including two First Team honors, and won two NBA championships: one with the 2008 Boston Celtics and another with the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers. He also made four All-Star appearances across his career.
His playoff reputation, in particular, became something of a phenomenon. Anyone who has followed his journey knows that “Playoff Rondo” was not a nickname that emerged without reason. He nearly averaged a triple-double in the 2009 postseason and was the engine behind multiple deep Boston runs.
The counter-argument writes itself. Lillard is one of the most decorated point guards of his generation. He ranks fifth on the all-time list of three-pointers made with 2,804.
His ability to create his own shot, break down defenses in isolation, and deliver in clutch moments gave the Portland Trail Blazers a franchise cornerstone for over a decade. When Lillard and Rondo faced each other directly over 16 career matchups, Lillard averaged 25.1 points to Rondo’s 9.1 points.
Still, Villanueva’s argument is not without merit. A great passer changes how an entire team functions. And Rondo, at his peak, was as gifted a reader of the game as the NBA has seen at the point guard position.
Whether that translates to a franchise-building choice over a nine-time All-Star is debatable, but it is the kind of take that makes basketball conversations worth having.
