3 reasons why Los Angeles Lakers will survive without Rajon Rondo
By Sam Oshtry
Lakers guard Rajon Rondo suffered a fractured right thumb at practice on Sunday
On Sunday, it was reported that Los Angeles Lakers guard Rajon Rondo broke his right thumb and is expected to miss at least six weeks, up to eight.
Colin Cowherd noted that LeBron is assuredly not winning a title due to the absences of Rondo and Avery Bradley, who has opted out of the NBA’s restarted season to be with family.
Rondo’s extended absence is not as big of a deal as it might seem to some. His on-court impact for this years Lakers team has been overstated in the wake of his injury. While no blow to a rotation player, especially a guard, is ideal, the Lakers might just find a silver lining in Rondo’s absence.
The love/hate relationship between Lakers fans and Rondo has been going on since his arrival with LeBron James in the summer of 2018. While he has had his moments, overall Rondo’s contributions have been limited in LA.
Every Lakers fan can remember the levels of frustration they have felt while watching Rondo destroy the teams spacing in an offensive set or over-dribble into a turnover.
As irritating as those moments are, there have also been a plethora of miraculous plays that get you to jump out of your seat, whether it be a no-look pass or a shutdown defensive stand.
Whether you love or hate Rondo, or if that decision depends on the day, there is one thing everyone can agree on — he is incredibly inefficient.
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Rajon Rondo has been inefficient for the Lakers this year
Throughout his career, Rajon Rondo has struggled to shoot the ball from the outside and that has been no different this season. Rondo has the third-lowest 3-point percentage on the team and the fourth-lowest field goal percentage at 32 and 41 percent, respectively.
Despite that, Rondo is still shooting the seventh most field goal attempts on the team. To pile on to the poor offensive numbers for Rondo, he has the second worst effective field goal percentage on the team and the Lakers have a net rating of -6.8 when he is on the floor, the lowest on the team.
There is no question that the Lakers are a substantially worse offensive unit when Rondo is on the floor. This season head coach Frank Vogel has often implored a two big man lineup, pairing Anthony Davis with either Dwight Howard or JaVale McGee. When that lineup is utilized, Rondo is unplayable. His inability to shoot kills spacing and allows the defense to stay home, eliminating driving lanes for other players. Rondo did, however, have some success running the pick-and-roll with Davis when they were on the floor together.