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New Orleans Pelicans: 5 goals for Rajon Rondo in 2017-18

By Jen Julie Smith

NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 02: Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo (9) has a shot blocked by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the against the Chicago Bulls on April 2, 2017, at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. Bull won 117-110. (Photo by Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - APRIL 02: Chicago Bulls guard Rajon Rondo (9) has a shot blocked by New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) during the game between the New Orleans Pelicans and the against the Chicago Bulls on April 2, 2017, at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, LA. Bull won 117-110. (Photo by Stephen Lew/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images
Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images /

3. Make the Pelicans a better team offensively

The Pelicans finished last season with a 34-48 record and were 12-29 on the road. One key skill that Rondo will bring to the team is his ability to win on the road. Because Rondo comes from that old class of players, where it doesn’t make a difference whether they’re playing on the road or at home, the basket looks all the same to him.

Besides being a terrible team on the road, there was another reason the Pelicans struggled last season, according to John Schumman of NBA.com:

"“They weren’t a good offensive team before the trade, but the Pelicans rank last offensively since the trade/break and have scored a brutal 93.3 points per 100 possessions in the six games that Cousins has played. Four of their seven post-break games have been against top-10 defenses, but they didn’t exactly light up the Lakers’ 29th-ranked defense on Sunday. Cousins and Anthony Davis have been pretty efficient, but their teammates have not. “It can only get better going forward, but rebuilding an offense around two bigs is tough to do in the middle of the season, especially when you weren’t very good on that end of the floor in the first place. It will be fascinating to see if the Pels can upgrade the wings while also dealing with Jrue Holiday’s free agency this summer.”"

Although, they were called the TNT Bulls, much of that success could be attributed to Rondo’s playmaking skills, because Rondo is also known to run the floor. Although he isn’t as fast as his younger days, he still has a quick sprint that will leave some of his opponents flat-footed.

Nonetheless, his passing skills hasn’t diminished at all. He even impressed New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. When Rondo visited the team’s training camp, he threw an almost full football-field pass that landed directly into one of the bins. The video is available here at USA Today.

Rondo just has to practice his run-and-gun style of play with his teammates, and ready to catch the ball in transition. More importantly, everyone should be in sync, such that they’re not caught off guard to prevent careless turnovers.

The Pelicans finished near the bottom of the league offensively, coming in at No. 22. If their offensive efficiency doesn’t improve, they will miss the playoffs yet again. But with Rondo’s passing abilities, he should be able to help everyone improve their scoring.

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