Jared Dudley recently talked about the importance of Rajon Rondo for the Los Angeles Lakers and their hopes of winning a title.
With the best record in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping that they will be battling for an NBA Championship this season.
While the Lakers are one of the best teams in the league, that doesn’t mean that their team is perfect. One of the main concerns for the Lakers has been finding a steady hand as a secondary ball-handler and playmaker when LeBron James is off the court.
When James is playing, the Lakers are a very strong offensive team. However, there is a significant drop off when he is off the court. When James is off the court, the Lakers rely on Rajon Rondo.
Recently, Jared Dudley spoke about Rondo and his importance to the team. Here’s what he had to say via Silver Screen and Roll.
"“So we need Rondo to win the championship, we need him to play at a high level… We already know what LeBron and AD are gonna do. It’s our role players and certain things, and I always say ‘don’t do more, do exactly what you’re supposed to do.’”"
Dudley is a strong veteran leader of this team, and he knows what it takes to win. He is quite right in his assessment of Rondo and how the Lakers are constructed right now.
Rondo has been quite inconsistent this season, but the hope is that when it’s time, “Playoff Rondo” will appear. It is also worth noting that come playoff time, the Lakers could be playing LeBron James a bit more.
Obviously the Lakers don’t want to run LeBron into the ground in the regular season, so Rondo plays a larger role than he might in the playoffs. Rondo has a lot of experience in the playoffs, and “Playoff Rondo” is a nickname that he earned.
As the season rolls on, Frank Vogel will likely have to make a call about using Rondo or Alex Caruso in the playoff rotation when the Lakers tighten up their lineups. If Playoff Rondo does make an appearance for the Lakers, they will be in great shape to win a championship.