Los Angeles Lakers: Player grades through All-Star break
9. Rajon Rondo
Rajon Rondo was brought back to the Los Angeles Lakers this past offseason to be a ball-handler, someone who could come in and be the guy who runs the offense. That took a turn when LeBron James took the role of the de facto point guard of this team.
For a long time, Rondo was one of the best passing point guards in basketball in Boston. He dazzled with his passes and made some that the game has never seen before. It was almost like he had four sets of vision to see the floor.
This year Rondo has been relegated to coming off the bench, where he has seen mixed results. He started off red hot from 3-point range but has since seen the number dip to 35.2 percent. He also possesses a -1.6 BPM, which is the lowest of his career.
He doesn’t create much offense and he isn’t a threat to create his own shot unless he uses a fancy maneuver once a game. His fit doesn’t seem to be in a Lakers uniform. The problem is the Lakers were stuck with him because of his no-trade clause.
So going forward, interest in Dion Waiters, who can create his own shot or play off the ball, could push Rondo fully out of the rotation. Bron is completely fine dominating the ball and Waiters could spot fill in the extra minutes.
Rondo in all hasn’t been what the Lakers need. The team is trying to win right now. It’s going to take a monumental turn for him to be a big factor in the playoffs.
His ability to knock down 3-pointers as his career has gone on helps his grade. It’s very Jason Kidd-ish.