Los Angeles Lakers: Ranking the players on the 2019-2020 roster (15-11)

11.) Rajon Rondo

Many Lakers fans were surprised when the Lakers decided to bring back Rajon Rondo for another season. Many saw his lack of shooting, and need for the ball in his hands as a bad fit alongside the already ball-dominant LeBron James.

But the more you think about, the more you can begin to like Rondo’s fit on this team, especially with a brand new coaching staff that can hopefully better utilize Rondo’s strengths while masking his weaknesses.

It’s been stated before that Rondo is at his best when he has the ball in his hands, and is able to set the table offensively. With the possibility of LeBron playing the point-guard offensively for the Lakers’ starting unit, Rondo coming in as the floor general off the bench is where he will be most effective.

With wing defenders such as Danny Green, Avery Bradley, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Talen Horton-Tucker (depending on how he develops), Rondo shouldn’t be expected to guard the league’s best point-guards.

As long as Rondo is surrounded by perimeter shooters, or pick-and-roll big men — both of which the Lakers have in spades — then Rondo should prove to be a valuable piece for this Lakers team.

The bottom line is that Rondo’s ability as a play-maker and floor general still make him a fairly useful player — even with his deficiencies as a shooter and a defender. That’s the main reason why he is ahead of players like Dudley, Daniels, and Horton-Tucker, who lack those particular skills.