NBA: It’s been a special year for point guards wearing No. 4

Three point guards donning No. 4 on their jersey for the first time this NBA season have all had incredible years for their respective teams.

Battling through adversity in one way or another, these three have all found new life since joining their new teams. Redemption stories in the NBA are always something that garners the attention of fans, and justifiably so. With that being said, let us look at three guards that have turned heads this season with the No. 4.

Rajon Rondo has flipped the switch since being traded to the LA Clippers at the NBA Trade Deadline

It seemed like Rajon Rondo and the LA Clippers were meant for each other from the start.

The Clippers desperately needed a playmaking point guard following their collapse in the playoffs last season, and Rondo has proven to be one of the best in the business. Set to hit free agency after winning the NBA title with the Los Angeles Lakers, it seemed certain that the other LA team would make a strong push for Rondo.

He ultimately decided to sign a two-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks, which soon turned into a disastrous fit for both sides. In 27 games with the franchise, Rondo averaged just 3.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game, struggling to find any rhythm with the team. While being sidelined for a string of games with various injuries certainly played into that, it was clear that the guard needed a fresh start elsewhere.

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The Clippers provided him with just that as they traded for him right before the NBA Trade Deadline in March in a package centered around Lou Williams and draft capital. Trading away one of their rotational pieces and draft picks for a regressing Rondo was considered a head-scratching move for many, but the fit has been seamless to this point.

With his typical No. 9 taken by Serge Ibaka, Rondo made the switch to No. 4 and has upped his production in virtually every statistical category since joining the Clippers by averaging 7.1 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.3 assists throughout his 13 games. While those numbers do not jump off the page, Rondo’s impact has certainly been a massive factor in the recent success of this surging LA team.

Although regular-season success helps, the true test for Rondo and the Clippers will come in the postseason. Playing a key role in the Lakers’ title win last season, the four-time All-Star lived up to his “Playoff Rondo” moniker, and the Clippers are undoubtedly banking on the hope that he can conjure up some of that same brilliance for them.

The Clippers will head into the postseason with redemption in mind following the embarrassing conclusion to last season, and Rondo could be the piece that propels them to the mountain top.