Rajon Rondo Ready to Lead Boston Celtics, Says Brooklyn Nets Forward Paul Pierce

Former Boston Celtics superstar Paul Pierce believes that point guard Rajon Rondo is ready to take over the leadership role in Boston for the 2013-14 NBA season.

The Celtics will be in a transition period next season after making major moves this offseason, but Pierce expressed his vote of confidence that Rondo has matured enough to lead and keep the Celtics squad respectable.

In an interview with the Boston Globe, Pierce, who spent 15 seasons with the Celtics before being traded to the Brooklyn Nets this offseason, said that Rondo can definitely be The Man in Boston, while also dismissing rumors that the All-Star point guard was the reason behind Doc Rivers' departure.

"I don't think that was a reason for Doc leaving. I've heard that, but that wasn't a reason for Doc not coming back," Pierce said. "Rondo is one of the best players in the league. He's a guy who can be the face of a franchise. He's won a championship, he's been an All-Star. There's a lot of organizations who don't even have a face of that caliber."

Without Pierce, and Kevin Garnett, who was also included in the blockbuster deal along with Jason Terry, Rondo will have bigger responsibilities on his shoulders once he returns from a surgery that repaired his torn right ACL.

However, Pierce reiterated that the 27-year-old point guard should learn how to dictate some responsibilities to his teammates in order to be successful, pointing out that forwards Jeff Green and Brandon Bass are expected to improve with him and Garnett gone.

Pierce also talked about his departure from the team and his transition with the Nets. The 35-year-old forward admitted that the move has been tough for him and his family, but he also confirmed earlier rumors that he already told his family to start packing after the Celtics were eliminated by the New York Knicks in the 2013 NBA Playoffs in May.

"Even before the end of the season I knew there was a chance I might not be here. So you guys [family] have to start preparing for that. We can't start looking at schools later, this could be it out here," said Pierce, who vowed to give his best to have another chance of winning a title before he calls it quits.