5 things the Lakers need to do to win the 2021 NBA Championship
By Robert Marvi
3. Rajon Rondo must opt-in
Guard Rajon Rondo just became only the second player to win NBA championships with both the Lakers and the Boston Celtics, which is quite a peculiar achievement.
He’s another player who got lots of criticism during the regular season for playing inconsistently. In fact, when the team re-signed him last offseason, many Lakers fans rolled their eyes and loudly questioned the move.
However, Playoff Rondo is a thing, as evidenced by his play ever since coming back from a hand injury in the second round of the postseason.
His ability to push the pace when LeBron James is resting, and to occasionally score when needed is one thing. But his leadership, impressive basketball IQ and experience makes him invaluable to this team.
If Rondo is allowed to leave, the Lakers could very well run into the problem of not having a floor general and allowing their offense to become slow and stagnant when James isn’t on the court.
When Rondo missed the eight “seeding” games in the bubble due to his injury, that problem stuck out like Kim Kardashian’s butt.
Having a strong bench is also a key to winning a championship, and when you’re a running team like these Lakers, you always need fresh players in the game at all times.
If Rondo leaves, it will be that much harder for the Lakers to repeat as world champs.