Los Angeles Lakers: Dion Waiters is a bad pick to replace Rajon Rondo in the rotation

Let’s take a look at how the Los Angeles Lakers were using Rajon Rondo offensively and why Dion Waiters doesn’t have the skillset to take over his role.

Dion Waiters has been positioned as one of the players who will replace Rajon Rondo in the Los Angeles Lakers rotation after he suffered a broken right thumb in practice that will sideline him for 6-to-8 weeks. Head coach Frank Vogel told reporters on July 13 that Waiters would get some of Rondo’s minutes due to his playmaking ability.

Vogel believes that Waiters’ ability to make plays off the bounce can help make up for the playmaking lost with Rondo’s injury. Unfortunately, Waiters isn’t the right player to replace Rondo in the rotation, as the Lakers haven’t put a spotlight on playmaking this season.

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Rondo is averaging career-low in touches, 50.4 per game. The career-low has played a vital role in him attacking the basket, only averaging 7.0 drives per game. Rondo has been able to accumulate 2.9 points and 0.8 assists on these drives.

The combination of these factors has led Rondo to average 7.1 points per game with 5.0 assists on 41.8 percent shooting. Rondo’s lack of playmaking is related to Anthony Davis’ power within the organization. Upon arrival in Los Angeles, Davis told reporters that he wanted to be a power forward as he believed that the position would lessen the wear and tear on his body throughout the season.

Consequently, the Lakers brought in Dwight Howard to complement the incumbent starting center, JaVale McGee. Both players have successfully managed to control Davis’ exposure to the position as he has played center less than 40 percent of the time averaging 12.4 minutes.

Davis’ influence over the organization has gone beyond dictating roster moves as he has affected the team’s offensive system. During training camp, LeBron James told reporters that they would be running a post-up centric offense as it is an area of strength for Davis.

Davis shot 42.7 percent from the field on 3.5 attempts in the low post during his final four seasons in New Orleans. His field goal percentage helped him create 3.9 points in 6.7 possessions. Davis’ low post statistics have played a vital role in the team being second in post-up possessions averaging 14.5 per game.

Davis is responsible for more than 60 percent of the team’s possessions averaging 9 per game. Davis has performed to expectation during these possessions as he is shooting 45.6 percent on 3.7 field goal attempts per game, allowing him to create 4.7 points.

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Davis’ influence over the organization has decreased floor spacing for the rest of the team as all of the big men in the rotation are below average shooters. Davis, Howard, and McGee shoot below 32 percent from behind the arc. Consequently, opponents can put two defenders near the basket for most of the game.

The crowded paint has forced Rondo to stay on the perimeter because it would be difficult for him to create an open look for Los Angeles. If Rondo drove to the basket, one of the big men can come up to stop him from getting to the rim.

It left Rondo with two options, take a contested shot or pass the basketball to the big man closest to him. Unfortunately, if he passes the basketball, the big man defender can easily rotate back over to guard the player who has the basketball.

For example, late in the first quarter of a home game against Portland Trail Blazers, Rondo attempted to get past Anfernee Simons en route to the basket. Unfortunately, Caleb Swanigan came up to double team him forcing Rondo to pass the basketball to Davis. Davis encountered immediate trouble upon receiving the pass as Swanigan rotated over, forcing him to take a contested fadeaway.

Therefore, Rondo is spending more time in the role of floor-spacer as he has taken a career-high 38.1 percent of his field-goal attempts from behind the arc. Unfortunately, Rondo didn’t have the right skill set to succeed in the role as he shot 31.5 percent from behind the arc on 1.3 attempts per game before this season. Rondo’s shooting struggles have continued as he is shooting 32.8 percent from behind the arc on 2.6 attempts per game.

Rondo’s subpar shooting allowed defenders to leave him wide open to provide help defense elsewhere. For instance, Kyle Korver left Rondo unattended in the right corner as he chose to stand near the paint to be in a position to provide help defense in case a Lakers player drove to the basket.

Waiters would be in the same position as Rondo as he has a career shooting percentage of 34.8 percent from behind the arc on 4 attempts per game. The organization would be better off giving those minutes to Alex Caruso or Quinn Cook as they shoot above 37 percent from behind the arc, taking over 1.6 attempts per game. Therefore, defenders are less likely to leave open because they have a significantly better chance to make the three.