New York Knicks need to consider signing Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo impressed many critics during last season’s playoffs, but would he be a perfect mentor and addition to the New York Knicks.

The departure of Phil Jackson has opened new opportunities for the New York Knicks to consider as they begin the process of rebuilding the roster.

One of the glaring changes in philosophy will be the lack of emphasis on the infamous triangle offense, drawing interest from point guards that wouldn’t have felt comfortable in that system like Rajon Rondo.

Rondo spent the past season as a member of the Chicago Bulls where he faced several obstacles, including being benched a few games by head coach Fred Hoiberg and calling out teammates Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade.

Through the chaos surrounding them all season, Chicago managed to slide into the Eastern Conference playoffs as the No. 8 seed. The veteran guard was the key catalyst to Chicago shocking the heavily favored Boston Celtics in Games 1 and 2, putting the Bulls in prime position to win the series.

Rondo unfortunately suffered a season-ending hand injury and in his absence, the Bulls would go on to drop the next four games. It was constantly pointed out the effectiveness of Rondo orchestrating the team and his presence was critical to any success in the series.

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Although there was a possibility of Rondo returning to Chicago, he became expendable after the Bulls dealt All-Star Jimmy Butler to begin their rebuilding process. Rondo sported impressive numbers with 7.8 points, 6.7 assists and 5.1 rebounds per game, continuing to show that even at 31 years old he can still play like a top point guard in the league.

According to several outlets, New York has shown interest in reaching out to the former NBA champion.

The idea of Rondo joining the Knicks should be considered because of his maturity at the point guard position. He is no longer the young, uncontrollable player he was for years in Boston and short stints with the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks. His style of play could be a great example for recently drafted rookie point guard Frank Ntilikina as he tries to get acclimated to the NBA game.

Rondo showed plenty of honesty and insight on his own career during a special reunion of the 2008 NBA champion Celtics. He commented about his past season with the Bulls and where things fell apart during the season, speaking with Kevin Garnett during his Area 21 segment.

A year ago, Rondo approached the idea positively about playing in New York when interviewed by the New York Post. He expressed his new willingness to learn the triangle and excitement at the possibility of playing at Madison Square Garden.

"“I had a comment earlier about it, but if I put my mind at it, I think I can be good at anything,” he said.“It’s one of those arenas, that’s the biggest lights. It’s Broadway. … Madison Square Garden is the mecca of basketball, so it’s always great going there and perform in front of a lot of fans.”"

The Knicks will continue to look at candidates to fill the point guard spot moving forward, but with the chances of Derrick Rose leaving seeming pretty likely, it’s in their best interests to contact Rondo.

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A former NBA champion with an aggressive point guard mentality is exactly the mentor a teenage rookie from France needs to battle the great guards of this era.