Rajon Rondo
Some media members have Rajon Rondo slotted in as the Lakers opening day starting point guard. Many fans also believe Rondo should start at the 1 spot.
Rajon Rondo hasn’t played winning basketball in a long time:
- 2016-2017: -4.9 net rating (Chicago Bulls)
- 2017-2018: -1.1 net rating (New Orleans Pelicans)
- 2018-2019: -10.5 net rating (LA Lakers)
He amassed those poor net ratings while the other point guards on the various squads he played for all performed much better.
- 2016-2017: Michael Carter-Williams had a -1.7 net rating for the Bulls.
- 2017-2018: Jrue Holiday had a +13.9 net rating for the Pelicans.
- 2018-2019: Alex Caruso had a +5.6 net rating, and Lonzo Ball had a +1.5 net rating for the Lakers.
Rajon Rondo made a name for himself at the beginning of his career as a great defensive point guard in Boston.
Nowadays, as he enters the twilight of his career, he’s lost a step (or two), and his defensive motor sits idle most of the time, waiting for an offensive possession to accelerate into action.
On offense, Rondo doesn’t bring much to the table either. At 6’1” he lacks the size to finish well in the lane, and he has one of the worst shooting strokes in the NBA.
Rondo can still pass the ball, but he hunts for assists the same way a hungry lioness stalks an antelope. Last year, there were numerous occasions when Rondo passed up an open layup attempt, or he turned down an easy ten-footer to pad his assist numbers.
Last season Rajon Rondo was labeled a “basketball savant” or a “basketball genius.”
Those labels are excessive. Rondo’s been living off of his Celtics reputation for far too long now. His advanced stats all scream that he’s a 3rd string point guard at best.
Here are Rondo’s current basketball credentials:
- He’s on a one-year, veteran minimum contract.
- Seemingly no other organization in the association was interested in signing him this offseason.
- He had the worst net rating on the Lakers last year.
- He’s a career 31 percent 3-point shooter.
There’s no other point guard in the league with those types of qualifications who could still have a part of his squads fanbase shout that he’s a starting-caliber player. Thus, Rajon Rondo is hugely overrated.