Rajon Rondo might have rested his way out of the starting lineup!
There are many Lake Show Life articles that cover the speculation of who will be the starting point guard on opening night. For most of the preseason, it looked like Rajon Rondo would get the nod based on seniority. Now that dynamic might change.
Avery Bradley started for the second time in the preseason, while Rondo rested for the second straight game. I don’t know if he knows the story about Wally Pipp and Lou Gehrig, but if he doesn’t he might need to Google it quick. He might be facing the same fate.
Avery Bradley’s jump shot finally made it through customs and probably cemented his position in the starting lineup when the season starts. Bradley dropped 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting (including 4-of-5 from deep), but the way he’s played defense through training camp fits perfectly with what Frank Vogel needs from his starting lineup.
Oh, it doesn’t stop there. There was a Quinn Cook sighting and he showed out. This dude can shoot people! Cook scored 16 points, knocked down four 3-point shots and made plays for his teammates.
You could tell that he has confidence in his game coming from a winning situation in Golden State. The positive effects are evident just like another Lakers player, JaVale McGee. He just looked like he was playing around when he faked Draymond Green out of his sneakers and shot a 3-pointer in his face.
If Bradley found his shot, Alex Caruso lost his. He has now missed 20 of his last 23 shots. His struggles to score out of the pick and roll is starting to catch up with him. But even he is a player the Lakers know will play defense every night. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope even played well enough that you didn’t want to throw a brick at the TV set.
It’s going to be interesting to see how the Lakers handle Rondo’s minutes considering his demeanor and the fact the Anthony Davis loves playing with him (I.E. Locker room politics at its finest!). But games like this send a message to the coaching staff and fans. If the other guards play like this consistently, Rondo is going to start a DNP-CD collection.
The next preseason game is Friday against the Golden State Warriors (Yes Lakers fans, again!) at the Chase Center. Lake Show Life will have some post game analysis. After that, the Lakers play the Los Angeles Clippers on October 22nd on opening night.
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