Dallas Mavericks: In The End, Rajon Rondo’s Performance Dictates If He’ll Stay

There’s only one true way this story ends, and Rajon Rondo is the author.

Rondo has served his time. He’s missed the last 68 minutes of basketball because of his minor tiff with Rick Carlisle in the Dallas Mavericks‘ win over the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday.

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Signs indicate everything is fine. Rondo has talked to everyone from Mark Cuban to the towel boy and everyone seems to be on the same page. Rondo and Carlisle are prepared to move on from this ridiculous moment in time, and go back to playing basketball.

That starts Saturday when the Mavericks welcome the Brooklyn Nets to town, and that’ll be the first time Rondo shows just how much he wants to be back in Dallas.

Within the last couple of days, scribes have told numerous situations regarding Rondo and his status beyond this year. He is a free agent, and everything has been said from Rondo’s time in Dallas being short to, of all bizarre things, picking Rondo over Carlisle if Cuban had the choice, and was presented the choice.

There will be no drama when the calendar turns July and Dallas is presented with the decision to either keep Rondo or let him walk.

At the end of the day, the conclusion to this story is simple: Rajon Rondo’s performance for the rest of this regular season, and the playoffs, will dictate whether he comes back next season … and how much he gets paid.

It’s not fair to say one argument between a player and coach sees grounds more immediate action. If it were a constant problem, then it’s valid. Rondo has had a known history for falling-outs with coaches, so this isn’t anything new.

This isn’t a situation where one is at fault and the other isn’t. Carlisle has always come off as a coach that doesn’t have a level head, and Rondo is Rondo. The situation could’ve been handled better than it was.

There’s no denying that, in the grand scheme of things, Rondo hasn’t been as impressive as those associated with the Mavericks would have liked. Rondo has averaged only nine points and 6.2 assists per game in the 25 games he’s played in Dallas.

That type of production is far from what Dallas wanted, yes, but the Mavericks also knew this would be a process. Rondo has been tempted to do too much because of what’s been expected of him. Sooner or later, he’s going to realize that he doesn’t need to do everything to be a force in Dallas.

The future of Rondo’s future in Dallas won’t be determined because the head coach and player can’t get along. Donnie Nelson, as well as Cuban, are too smart to let that sort of dynamic tear the Mavericks from the inside.

Only Rondo can determine if he wants to stay in Dallas, and only Rondo can put in the effort to show that he is better than what his Dallas averages have shown him to be. If he and Carlisle can put this little debacle behind them, and play well for the final 22 games of the year, then all will be forgiven.

Rondo doesn’t fit what this team wants to do offensively, especially when Dallas hopes for better shooting from the point guard position. But we’ll see Saturday if Rondo and Carlisle are truly able to co-exist and can work together.

Dallas has championship aspirations and is capable of being a formidable opponent in the Western Conference. It comes down to Rondo playing well, and that’s the only factor that should be taken into consideration when Rondo is a free agent come July 1.

Other than that, leave all the nonsense out of the picture.

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