Why the Boston Celtics should bring Rajon Rondo home with no hesitation

The skills of Rajon Rondo would propel this current Boston Celtics team in a reunion tour while playing with the team where he started his NBA career.

On a team that has a superabundance of young talent, the Boston Celtics need a talented and skillful veteran player to join this team. A veteran who can fill multiple roles and log in a start from time to time, but more importantly take control of the floor, facilitate the game when he’s on the court, and be a leader on this team. Who better fits that bill more than Rajon Rondo?

Through his first nine seasons in the NBA the Celtics saw firsthand what type of player Rondo is. He evolved from a rookie role player to an immediate starter and key factor in leading Boston to their then league high 17th championship in 2008 by being a true point guard on a team that needed one the most with the Big 3 of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen.

Rondo’s proficient passing and play making abilities were a perfect match on a team with Pierce, Garnett, and Allen who were all play makers of their own and knew their roles on that team. He took the league by storm by being the most talented and smartest players on the court at all times and with his devoted production while regularly racking up triple-doubles in points, assists, and rebounds.

In doing so, Rondo ranks 11th in NBA history with 32 triple-doubles in the regular season to go with his 10 in the postseason. He also ranks fourth in Celtics history in assists (4,474) and is recognized in Boston for playing elite level defense and being a prominent on ball defender which he is ranked third all-time in team history in steals (988).

Fast forwarding six years later, there’s a strong intrigue in a Rondo reunion with Boston and him being able to produce similarly on this current Celtics squad surrounded with the rising stars and franchise pillars of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Rondo’s unique skills in and around the paint would force opposing defenses onto him, which would give shooters like Tatum and Brown more of an opportunity to shoot and score.

Rajon Rondo would be more than a figurehead for the Boston Celtics

Over the last few seasons, the Celtics have lacked play making depth outside of their starting five and on their bench which has ultimately proven to be the team’s weakest link down the stretch in the playoffs. Being a play maker has been Rondo’s MO throughout his entire career. In doing so, Rondo arguably proved to be the Los Angeles Lakers’ third-best player behind LeBron James and Anthony Davis during their championship run last season.

Since then, Rondo has elected to decline his player option with the Lakers and become a free agent, especially considering that the Lakers recently agreed to acquire Dennis Schroder via trade from the OKC Thunder. That being said, there’s a strong possibility that Rondo’s playing time would have decreased to the point where he wouldn’t want to be playing in LA anymore anyways.

Playing in a potential backup role with the Celtics, Rondo would provide a much needed sense of direction and production to the second unit that looked lost more often than not last season. He would be an immediate upgrade from Brad Wanamaker (who was declined a qualifying offer from the team), Tremont Waters while he’s still in his developmental years, Payton Pritchard, and even Marcus Smart to a certain extent.

It’s still early in the offseason process to know what Rondo’s intentions are for next season but returning back “home” to play on a contending team that the Boston Celtics are should not be completely out of the question.