Los Angeles Lakers: 2018-19 player grades for Rajon Rondo

Final grade

In many ways, this season was a struggle for Rajon Rondo.

He found himself in the rare position of not being his team’s regular starting point guard. He was limited by injuries that kept him sidelined for almost half of the schedule. He was suspended three games for fighting Chris Paul, and widely bashed for allegedly spitting on Paul. Finally, his team missed the playoffs despite high expectations that they would compete with the best in the league.

The bright side is that Rondo still managed to do what he does best on the court when he was available, and he didn’t give his critics the satisfaction of labeling him a problem for the Lakers.

The record he set this season — becoming the first player to record a triple-double with five different teams — does sum up Rondo’s career in a way. It shows that you can put him anywhere, in any situation or system, and he will get numbers — and that is meant in the most complimentary way possible, not as an accusation of stat-hunting.

Rondo will be a free agent again this summer, and the Lakers have another offseason ahead in which they hope to bring in superstars with high salaries. Whether he is part of L.A.’s plans moving forward, Rondo’s first (and maybe last) season with the Lakers included some good things when he was able to contribute.

It was a bad season overall for the Lakers, but there is plenty of blame to pass around that does not fall on Rondo’s shoulders.

Grade: C-