Does Mario Chalmers have what it takes to become the next Rajon Rondo? NBA Feature (Part 2)
Just like Rajon Rondo, the Miami Heat fans were also expecting the same for their point guard Mario Chalmers after the franchise successfully formed their Big-Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
The reason behind this expectation was simple. Heat’s trio attracts so much attention of their opposing teams that it leaves open spaces for the other players on the court, creating an opportunity for them to chip in with good
numbers and ease the load off the shoulders of the trio.
Mario, who had showed some sparks of his talent in 2009-10 season with the Heat, appeared on the scene when he led University of Kansas to the 2007-08 championship. During the run, Chalmers shot a three-pointer just seconds before
the final buzzer went off against the Memphis Tigers that pushed the game into extra time and later Kansas won the game.
Just before entering into the National Basketball Association 2008 Draft, Chalmers won the Most Outstanding Player award of the 2008 National Collegiate Athletic Association Championship.
He was picked up as 34th overall from the 2008 NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves and subsequently traded to the Heat. Chalmers began the 2008-09 season and participated in all 82 games, where he scored at an average
of 10 points, 4.9 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.95 steals per game during 32 minutes of stay.
However, Mario failed to persist with the same aggression in the subsequent seasons and his average kept falling. As a result of that, Chalmers lost minutes and became more of a role player.
In the 2009-10 season, Chalmers played 73 games and logged in for 24.8 minutes in each game. Mario scored 7.1 points per game on .401 percent shooting. While in the 210-11 season Chalmers minutes were reduced to 22.6 per game and
he scored 6.4 points per game.
Chalmers lifted his stats with an emphatic 20 point performance in the final game against the Philadelphia 76ers that seized the series in Miami’s favour. However, his best performance came in the Finals, where he tallied at least
10 points in each game and he pulled such numbers not as a starter, but as a bench player.
Despite of having a good defence and quality shot range; Chalmers has failed to register himself as one of the top point guards in the league. The reason behind is his unpredictability.
In order to become nearly as good as Rondo, Chalmers has to overcome this fault and be more consistent. He has the right environment and couldn’t ask for better supervision than that of James, Wade and Bosh.
A skill is something that cannot be created over night either it comes with the time or the players have it in them from birth. Chalmers can reach Rondo’s level, but lacks the ability and that is a thing he’ll gain with experience,
as there is no short cut to success.
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