Rajon Rondo played well and is showing immaculate chemistry with AD.
Rondo played very well with the starters in the lineup. The NBA is going to possibly get some insight on how hard Rondo worked in the offseason on his shot. He came out aggressive and looked to shoot the ball and gain his rhythm. Rondo started to solidify his position in the starting lineup with 18 points, 6 assists and 5 rebounds while continuing to display good chemistry with Davis. Normally Davis is the guy that finishes plays while Rondo is the setup man. Here, the roles are reversed.
https://twitter.com/Lakers/status/1182266192133623810
Notice how Rondo and Davis work the pick and roll and Davis gets the ball at the key. With all of the attention he commands, Rondo slips backdoor for the easy layup with the smooth setup from AD.
This didn’t happen last year, with Rondo. Most of the time, Rajon would pound the ball and not embrace moving without the ball. Most will be looking to see if they can lay off Rondo and let him shoot. Something the Nets did in this game. They paid for it. Rondo shot over 50% (7-for-13 including 2-for-3 from distance) and made his free throws. He was the best player by far in the Lakers backcourt.
However, defense is always an issue and boy it was in this game.