Los Angeles Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo will be sidelined multiple weeks after suffering a broken hand against the Portland Trail Blazers.
The Los Angeles Lakers are beginning to get on a role. After defeating the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night, their winning streak is up to four games. They have won six of their last seven games, as they are turning a corner.
Right as they are getting things rolling, they suffer another setback. Following the victory, it was announced that point guard Rajon Rondo suffered a broken hand.
Tania Ganguli of the Los Angeles Times shared the update on her Twitter account. The injury occurred when he dove for a steal.
There isn’t an exact timetable available yet, but Rondo is expected to be sidelined for a few weeks at least.
This is a big blow for the Lakers. Luke Walton was finally beginning to settle on a rotation, as Rondo was easing into his role as the backup point guard behind Lonzo Ball.
Despite coming off the bench, Rondo was still producing for Los Angeles. He has averaged 9.3 points, 6.8 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game entering Wednesday’s matchup against the Trail Blazers.
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With Rondo out of the lineup, look for Lance Stephenson to pick up some minutes. Stephenson was signed, in large part, for his playmaking abilities, and they will be needed now. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope should also see an increase in minutes, as Rondo was playing 26.2 minutes per game.
The biggest question for the Lakers without Rondo will be who finishes the game at point guard? Rondo has been finishing games, with Ball watching from the court. Will Ball now finish games as the point guard, as he did against the Trail Blazers, or will Walton go with a veteran such as Caldwell-Pope or Stephenson, with LeBron James running the show?
The Lakers are not without playmakers, so they won’t be lacking too much in that department. Rondo has not played well defensively, either, so the Lakers could actually improve with Rondo forced to the sideline.
However, Rondo is still someone that Walton trusted at the end of games, and he did have a prominent role in the rotation. Other players will have to step up as long as Rondo is sidelined.
While losing a rotation player is never an easy thing to overcome, the Lakers do already have experience playing without Rondo this season. He missed three games earlier this season as he served a suspension for his role in the brawl with the Houston Rockets.