Rondo was voted the 12th best player in the NBA to build around, according to a Sports Illustrated poll of 137 players throughout the league.
The 26-year-old was the fifth point guard on the list, ranking behind reining Eastern Conference MVP Derrick Rose (No. 5), Clippers star Chris Paul (No. 6), eight-time All-Star Steve Nash (No. 8) and the Nets’ Deron Williams (No. 10), who dropped 57 points on the Bobcats on Sunday.
Rookie Ricky Rubio checked in at No. 14 — somehow ahead of his teammate, Kevin Love. Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook was noticeably absent from the 15-player list.
Two-time MVP LeBron James was unsurprisingly the top choice, followed by Magic center Dwight Howard at No. 2. Kobe Bryant, the NBA’s current scoring leader, was No. 4 on the list.