After suffering a hamstring strain, the Los Angeles Lakers are wisely being careful with Rajon Rondo.
As the Los Angeles Lakers continue to roll this season, they have dealt with their fair share of injuries here and there. Recently, Rajon Rondo was once again injured in the win against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Rondo missed some time to start the season with a calf injury, and he recently missed a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves with a hamstring strain. All of these type soft tissue injuries can be very tricky and take some time to heal.
Recently, Frank Vogel talked about the injury to Rondo and what the plan will be for the Lakers. Here’s what Vogel said via Harrison Faigen of Silver Screen and Roll.
"“He’s got a hamstring strain. We’re going to be cautious with things like that at this point in the season,” Vogel said."
Since Rondo isn’t a kid and has already had some leg issues this season, playing it safe is certainly the way to go for the Lakers. Rondo has been playing well for the Lakers this season, as he is averaging 8.5 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.5 rebounds in 20.9 minutes per game.
What has really been impressive from Rondo is his 3-point shooting. This season, Rondo is shooting 52 percent from 3-point range on almost three attempts per game. The wide-open looks Rondo is getting are falling, and it certainly helps the Lakers on offense.
In addition to the strong play on the offensive end, Rondo has also been much better on the defensive end of the court compared to last season.
With Rondo out against the Timberwolves, the Lakers gave extended minutes to Alex Caruso. The play of Caruso has been a fun storyline all season, and he played really well once again with the extra minutes. Caruso scored 16 points in 30 minutes against the Timberwolves, and good things continued to happen for the Lakers with him on the court.
While Rondo being out isn’t ideal, the Lakers are fortunate to have a player like Caruso that is capable of giving them quality minutes off the bench. We will have to see how long Rondo is out for, but the Lakers should be careful with him as the team continues to thrive.