LOS ANGELES_In the Los Angeles Lakers' search for a starting lineup that worked in recent weeks, Rajon Rondo became the odd man out. Wednesday night, that changed.
"I've been there before," Rondo said. "Whatever's better for the team. LeBron (James) was (playing) point at the time and you know they brought me here to make their job a lot easier. (Coach Luke Walton) put me back in the lineup and that's what I tried to do tonight."
Rondo started in the Lakers' 125-119 win over the New Orleans Pelicans, the team Rondo played for last season. His 16 assists served as a reminder of how he can help facilitate the Lakers' offense, and he might have had something to do with how well the Lakers took care of the ball _ they committed just eight turnovers, tying a season low.
"First of all his mind is incredible," James said. "High IQ. When you add another mind to the starting lineup it helps everybody out. Obviously with his rebounding and his ability to get guys involved throughout the whole game was just huge for us. Huge for us all night."
When he returned from his most recent hand surgery, Rondo filled right back into the Lakers' starting lineup, taking the place of Lonzo Ball, who is still out with a severe ankle injury. Rondo started in the next seven games, a sequence punctuated by a game in Boston where he scored 17 points and made the game-winning shot.
That was the last game Rondo started.
Walton switched his lineup to include a recent addition, Reggie Bullock, among the starters. Officially, they started Brandon Ingram at point guard, but unofficially it was James who handled a lot of the Lakers' point-guard duties.
Coming off the bench for the next five games, Rondo reached double-digit points only once and never had double-digit assists or rebounds.
The Lakers, too, were struggling.
After losses to Memphis and New Orleans on the road, Walton checked in with Rondo.
"Me and him had a long talk after we got back from the road trip and that was the decision," Walton said. "We brought him in as a championship point guard. We need to start winning games and he's someone I feel totally confident with giving that opportunity to help lead us."
Said Rondo: "He asked me if I wanted to start again, so I felt I take pride in defense. I wanted the (Jrue) Holiday matchup tonight and help set the tone.
"Like I said it all starts with defense and we were able to get out and feed off of that."
