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Before Rajon Rondo made his debut midway through the first quarter, the final Clippers point guard watched the opening minutes of a game between his current and former teams on Sunday from a padded folding chair posted behind where coach Tyronn Lue barked instructions.
After his first five-minute stint, the playmaker suspended his Puma sneakers from a raised seat atop a basic video board. By the second half, he had found an open chair in the front row between assistants Dan Craig and Kenny Atkinson, watching the Lakers’ 104-86 Clippers rout unfold.
Just as his coach predicted before the report when describing the “slow process” of acclimatization that could take several weeks, Rondo could take a while to find where he is most comfortable with his new team.
Starting with Sunday’s one-sided battle against the shorthanded Lakers, the final 22 games of the regular season will be a testing ground for Rondo and the Clippers, “trying to see what he picks up, what we like, what we can run and kind of take it from there, ”Lue said. “But it’s going to be a process now, bring it in so late in the season.”
On Sunday at Staples Center, that process, along with the potential that the Clippers firmly believe the 35-year-old two-time champion can unlock once this period of acclimatization is over, was on display during his 13 minutes.
Dribbling to his right in his first play, Rondo lost the ball – the first of his four turnovers.
They did little to dissuade stars Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the rest of the squad from wanting the ball in their hands.
Teammates who grabbed a defensive rebound immediately looked to pass upstream to Rondo, who advanced with an urgency rarely seen from an attack possessing the league. fourth slowest pace. On average this season, it took the Clippers 10.2 seconds to shoot after a defensive rebound, the fifth longest lasting in the league, according to the advanced stats site. Unpredictable.
“I’m just trying to pass the ball to our two main players in a lot easier places because they have to work so hard to get the ball against a set defense,” Rondo said. “If we’re able to create saves and get out of the break, my job is to move forward, pass the ball and let these guys go head-to-head.”
Rondo had a rebound, two steals, three assists, four turnovers and four fouls, and played in five minutes during the first and second quarters. His shift ended after stepping into the paint for a one-handed basket – his only points – two minutes from the end of the third quarter, after which he hit an area near his right hip. Rondo, who had not played in four games since his Atlanta trade with a right adductor injury, spoke with the team’s coach during the ensuing timeout, flexing his legs .
Clippers’ teammates Marcus Morris Sr., left, and Rajon Rondo react in Sunday’s win over the Lakers.
(Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)
His view for the last 13 minutes was a folding chair in front of the video board, and then said his exit was as a precaution.
“It was a little rusty tonight, we’re expecting that,” Lue said. “But just his conversation, talking to PG and Kawhi, where they like the ball, where they want to receive it, about catch and shoot, and different things like that, he’s just trying to work around the room to see what everyone else is doing.” love. . “
Marcus Morris, who scored a top 22 points, said: “I think he’s really going to play a big role in our attempt to hang this banner.”
The Clippers’ belief is rooted in the fact that Rondo has helped lift two title banners during his career, most recently six months ago with the Lakers.
“He’s one of the smartest players I’ve ever coached,” said Lakers coach Frank Vogel. “He has a great vision of what’s going on with our group, he has a great BS counter and he will call him with the guys to make sure the guys are doing their business the right way, whether it’s on the pitch. , off the field it doesn’t matter. He’s a champion for a reason and he should help the Clippers.
Part of Rondo’s job description is simple – carrying the brunt of ball handling to allow Leonard, who scored 19 points with 10 rebounds and eight assists, and George, who scored 16 points with seven rebounds, easier shots. One of his passes – a laser-guided rebound pass through traffic – to Leonard didn’t produce an assist, but helped Leonard make his.
Highlights of the Clippers’ 104-86 win over the Lakers on Sunday.
In a way that might become visible as the season progresses, Rondo has also been tasked with making Lue’s life easier, acting as an extension of the coach he’s been friends with since Lue coached him to. Boston over ten years ago. Since Rondo first stepped into a trade last month, much of his time has been spent with coaches, from assistants Chauncey Billups and Larry Drew on the training ground to learning the playbook. , or sitting among them on match days.
“We’re going to listen to it,” said George. “I consider him a leader, a leader of this group. He will have a lot of weight.
Rondo joked that Lue “didn’t yell at me too much, obviously we won the game today.”
“I can’t really say exactly, identify one thing that needs to be done here,” Rondo said. “I want to come here, help this team as much as possible. Lead in any way you can. And, of course, we have a common goal. “
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