Rajon Rondo’s time with the Los Angeles Lakers was bumpy at best. After intermittent good spells during the first half of the season ruined by various injuries, his second half of the season was a microcosm of the team itself as the team collapsed out of the playoffs.
While Rondo was brought to the franchise to help the team make the playoffs, he was also signed to mentor Lonzo Ball in his second year in the league. While the first part of that task obviously failed, the second half of that task was a bit more successful.
On the House of Highlights show last week, Ball delved into Rondo the teammate with glowing praises.
“Not even playing with him, just being around him. The way he is on the court is how he is off the court. He’s always thinking about everything. Just being around him, you can learn so much. He’s probably one of the smartest dudes I’ve talked to.”
For all of Rondo’s faults on the court, and there were plenty of them later in the season, Rondo’s influence on the team off the court was wholly positive. Ball has talked multiple times off Rondo’s influence on the team away from the court. As one of the most veteran players in the league, Rondo helped guide a young Laker team throughout the season.
While it didn’t make up for his lack of on-court production – Rondo averaged 9.2 points, 8.0 assists and shot 40.5 percent from the field despite shooting a career-high 35.9 percent from beyond the arc – it was an added bonus and helped lessen the blow on the signing.
Even taking that into account, Rondo likely will be a one-and-done signing with the Lakers as their experiment in choosing playmaking over shooting failed, expectedly, this season. But in a lost season, having a veteran like Rondo around still had its positives.
