Rajon Rondo, the offseason prize acquisition of the New Orleans Pelicans, will be out action for approximately the first month of the regular season.
The New Orleans Pelicans and Rajon Rondo joining forces during the offseason signaled a major change. The Pelicans didn’t make the playoffs for the past two years, so they acquired a point guard who almost helped the Chicago Bulls upset the Boston Celtics in the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs.
That type of veteran leadership and playoff savvy is what the Pelicans needed. He was expected to suit up to start this season, but unfortunately, that won’t be the case.
Rajon Rondo will be out 4-6 weeks after surgery for a sports hernia, according to The Vertical’s Shams Charania. The proposed backcourt of Rondo and Jrue Holiday will be put on the back-burner. There is a silver lining to the devastating news of Rajon Rondo being sidelined though: more playing opportunity for role players.
The idea of having two point guards in the starting lineup has disaster written all over it. A small sample size gave the indication that playing an undersized backcourt is detrimental on both ends of the court.
In their Oct. 3 showdown against the Bulls, the Pelicans’ offensive schemes seemed stagnant when Rajon Rondo was running the show. There was barely any ball movement, unless Rondo was making a pass to a shooter or someone cutting to the basket. Both DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis had the Bulls defense collapse on them, which forced Rondo to make plays during the crucial third quarter when the Pelicans lost the lead. Even on the defensive end, both Rondo and Holiday couldn’t contain their opponents.
Replacements for Rajon Rondo on starting lineup
With Rajon Rondo out, guys like E’twaun Moore, Darius Miller and Ian Clark will have to pick up the slack. Spacing the floor with the ability to knock down 3-point shots is essential for this Pelicans’ offense.
When Rajon Rondo was on the floor with Holiday, defenders sagged off of Rondo to shoot the ball. He tried to muster up some offense by forcing passes in the paint or attacking the basket. It left guys to make tough shots and play out of rhythm for most of the game.
Jrue Holiday was more fluid running the offense than playing off the ball based on the last two preseason games. He’ll be benefiting more from Rondo’s absence than any other player on the starting unit. His shot selection and drive-in attempts to the basket will be key to kick off opening drives of every quarter. Playing alongside two shooters and two All-Star big men who can stretch the floor can be the perfect opportunity for Holiday to rack up more assists.
Playmaking duties
DeMarcus Cousins must handle the playmaking duties for the team for the next few weeks. He’s arguably the best passing center in the league and Alvin Gentry will need to maximize those skills. There were a few plays in the last two preseason games where the opposition couldn’t guard Cousins when he started the fast break.
Lobbing passes halfway across the court to a cutting Anthony Davis for the easy layup is something the league hasn’t really seen before. Even making quick passes off the post or on top of the free throw key are plays Cousins can consistently make. They’re a lot more efficient than the drive-in ,kick-out plays Rondo displays.
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If the New Orleans Pelicans do manage to win a lot of games to kick off the season, Rajon Rondo must be a bench player when he returns. But if the Pelicans do hit a brick wall and lose a lot of games, maybe Alvin Gentry should go back on his offseason idea of putting Rajon Rondo in the starting lineup.