3 Reasons The Indiana Pacers Should Acquire Rajon Rondo

The Indiana Pacers are currently facing a 3-2 series deficit to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, but there are already some glaring holes facing them for the upcoming offseason. One of those major needs is going to be finding a legitimate point guard to pair with scorers that the Pacers already have on the roster. George Hill has done a decent job filling in at the point guard position, but he is simply not cut out to be a true floor general.

There are expected to be some good names out there on the free agent market, but the name that they should be targeting has been rumored to be available via trade for quite some time now. Rajon Rondo is the type of point guard that would immediately put the Pacers over the top, and take them past the Heat in the Eastern Conference. He has the ability to defend the basketball, which fits well into Indiana’s system, but he would also help take Indiana’s offense to a much higher level.

There are three reasons that the Pacers should work to acquire Rondo from the Celtics.

1. Ability to Make Teammates Better and More Comfortable

One of the things that Rondo has done throughout his career is find ways to put his teammates in positions for them to succeed and be comfortable. The Pacers don’t have a player that is capable of finding his teammates with passes that will put them in better positions, and that has been one of the main reasons that their offense has struggled. Rondo may not have the best offensive game out there, but he is more than capable of taking over with his passing ability.

2. Defensive Prowess

While the Pacers have been very happy with the type of defense that Hill has played at the point guard position, Rondo would bring another piece that would add a lot to an already strong defensive unit. He has shown the ability to lock down any opposing point guard, and even shooting guard at times in his career. There is no doubt that he is a smaller guard, but his quickness and scrappy nature would be perfect in the Pacers’ defensive schemes.

3. Improving Offensive Game

Rondo has never been known as an offensive player, but he has been picking up new things and making his scoring ability much more dangerous. He isn’t a deadly three-point shooter, but he’s more than capable of stepping back and knocking it down on occasion. He’s not necessarily going to put up 15-20 points per game, but he would give the Pacers a consistent output from the point guard position, which is more than what they’re getting from Hill.

There are plenty of reasons that Rondo would fit well with the Pacers, and the two parties have been linked together in trade talks in recent history. Larry Bird is good friends with Celtics’ general manager Danny Ainge, and it is certainly conceivable that the two sides could hammer out a deal. It wouldn’t be cheap for the Pacers, but it would be more than worth it and would put them on top of the Eastern Conference without question.

Evan Massey is a Staff Writer for HoopsHabit.com. Follow Evan on Twitter at @Massey_Evan.