LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — With Rajon Rondo, the story is always refracted depending on the eye of the beholder.
Some fans saw his return – an eight-point, four-assist, four-turnover debut after a month and a half on the shelf – as a rusty disappointment. But Rondo’s Laker teammates hope it’s just a starting point for him to build on after missing every bubble game with a fractured thumb followed by back spasms.
Alex Caruso said he thought Rondo’s first in-game action since March 10, in a 112-97 loss to Houston on Friday night, was about where he should be at this point.
“I thought he looked about his normal self,” Caruso said. “Maybe he missed a layup or a shot he normally makes and maybe that’s a little timing and getting used to playing the game again. But I mean, Rondo’s a guy that’s mentally locked in whenever he steps on the court, so I thought he looked pretty good conditioning-wise.”
Every facet of a playoff loss is scrutinized. When it comes to Rondo, many fans have an extra layer of skepticism for a player that advanced analytics reflect disapprovingly on. For the season, Rondo has a plus-1.4 net rating on a team with a plus-5.6 net rating. The Lakers’ offensive and defensive ratings improve when he’s off the floor.
But Rondo’s influence in the locker room is often described by his teammates and coaches with intangible qualities: his encyclopedic knowledge; his characteristic swagger; a caustic sense of humor and playfulness. On the court, Anthony Davis said, Rondo brings confidence – as well as a chance for LeBron James to get a break as the team’s chief ball-handler.
“He’s trying to make plays for others, be in attack mode,” Davis said. “So it gives ‘Bron, it gives him a break with Rondo on the floor, let ‘Bron kinda be that guy who can catch it and work on attacking. And Rondo’s able to get into the paint and make plays in response, so it’s beneficial to us to have him on the floor.”
Rondo had some moments: He hit two of his first three 3-point attempts, taking advantage of swaths of space the Rockets defense granted him, and his pace was quick, which the Lakers said they want to be.
But in a game in which points off turnovers loomed large, the Lakers’ ball security was dissected. And Rondo had as many turnovers as James despite playing 12 fewer minutes.
The Lakers haven’t had a set rotation truly in these playoffs, working in newcomers like Markieff Morris, J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters at different times. Vogel acknowledged it’s harder now, in the Western Conference semifinals, to bring in a player who is assumed to have a set spot on the second unit.
“It is a challenge working in a new player at this stage in the playoffs,” Vogel said. “But Rajon is one of the smartest players in the league and obviously our guys’ IQ raises when he’s on the court, so he’s definitely going to help us this series.”
It just might take another game to get there.
Lakers’ Rajon Rondo tries to shake the rust in uneven return posted first on https://anaheimsignsorangecounty.blogspot.com
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