Rajon Rondo has been out for about a week as he’s been recovering from a calf injury, but in the last 24 hours, the visions Frank Vogel has for his role have become much clearer.
A day after suggesting that Rondo would have a role where he plays 25-30 minutes per game, Vogel was coy about his role moving forward but also admitted that he sees Rondo “starting a lot” throughout the season. But he also said that he thinks match-ups will dictate the line-ups all season long.
Here’s how Vogel presented his view point to The Athletic’s Lakers beat writer Bill Oram
Bradley started in the last game for the Lakers alongside LeBron James, Danny Green, Anthony Davis and JaVale McGee. Putting Rondo in Bradley’s spot would hurt the Lakers 3-point shooting on the wing but adding him would allow LeBron to play his natural position of small forward.
Lakers fans and critics definitely have their reasons to worry about Vogel’s statements. Last season, LeBron James and Rajon Rondo didn’t succeed when they shared the floor together during the limited time both were healthy. But one thing that may make Vogel curious about starting Rondo is his past success alongside Anthony Davis.
Davis has gone on the record multiple times saying how much he loves playing with Rondo and values his perspective. And unlike his first season with LeBron, the Pelicans did quite well with Rondo and Davis sharing the court in 2017-18, outscoring their opponents by 4.1 points per 100 possessions on their way to a first round sweep of the Portland Trail Blazers, according to NBA.com
