Los Angeles Lakers: Why Rajon Rondo’s injury doesn’t impact title hopes

3. Rajon Rondo is not even missing the most important games for the Los Angeles Lakers

So let’s pretend that the worst-case scenario happens. Rondo’s role proves to be more important than we are leading on and nobody on the roster, not even Waiters, can provide what Rondo was providing to the team. It makes a difference.

Even in that worst-case scenario, it is not going to be a big enough difference for the Lakers to lose a playoff series against a lower-seeded team. In the last two rounds of the playoffs, sure, the worst-case scenario could be the difference between a series win and loss for the Lakers.

The good thing is that Rondo is going to be back for those important playoff series, giving the Lakers the potential for “playoff Rondo” when they need it most.

An eight-week timeline, at the time of his surgery on Wednesday, would put his return date on September 9. The playoff schedule has just been released and that will be smack dab right in the middle of the Western Conference semi-finals.

The Western Conference Finals begin on September 15, just under nine weeks from Rondo’s surgery. Granted, there is such a thing as injury setbacks, but this is not a quad or a knee injury, it is a thumb injury.

Rondo will be back for the Western Conference Finals, I am willing to lock that in here in mid-July. If I am wrong, feel free to come back and rub it in my face.

The Los Angeles Lakers will be just fine in the first two rounds of the playoffs without Rondo and that is assuming he does not return for round two. When it really matters, Rondo will be back.