Point guard Rajon Rondo found himself on his fourth team in 12 seasons when he signed with the New Orleans Pelicans. How did his first year there turn out?
Aside from dunks, the basketball highlights that I enjoy watching the most are passing ones. I could waste an entire day watching the likes of Magic Johnson, Jason Kidd, Jason “White Chocolate” Williams, Steve Nash, Mark Jackson and LeBron James set their teammates up for easy buckets with dazzling passes. New Orleans Pelicans point guard Rajon Rondo belongs in that category as well.
The four-time All-Star and three-time assists champion has earned his place as one of the best passing point men in the history of the NBA. While there are obvious deficiencies to other aspects of his game, there is no question that Rondo is one of the most cerebral players in the association.
In his first go-round with the Pelicans, Rondo turned in a solid season, averaging 8.3 points, 8.2 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game with a 15.3 Player Efficiency Rating (PER, 15 is league average). While those numbers aren’t particularly eye-catching, they underscore how much Rondo’s basketball acumen meant to the team.
Like many players, Rondo needs good pieces around him to maximize his talents. Was that the case in New Orleans? Well, let’s take a look and see.