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Assists to Lakers star Anthony Davis every 36 minutes of play with him:
With one playmaker helping him twice as often as the other, Davis noticed.
Report from Eric Pincus from Bleacher:
According to an NBA source familiar with some of the Lakers’ struggles throughout the 2020-21 campaign, Davis felt some frustration at not having the kind of looks in the post with Dennis Schroder leading the point versus those he received with Rondo a year earlier.
It’s understandable that Davis is frustrated. While he’s improved at creating his own shots, for a high profile star he relies heavily on setting.
Rondo is a savvy passer with the chemistry with Davis when they played with the Pelicans. Schroder isn’t that level of distributor, and he might have had tunnel vision to the basket in a contract year last season.
Back at the Lakers, Rondo could boost Davis more than Schroder.
But that’s not the whole story.
The Lakers scored much more effectively when Davis and Schroder split last season (114.7 points per 100 possessions) than when Davis and Rondo split the previous season (103.9 points per 100 possessions).
The difference was even more pronounced with LeBron James on the ground. Lakers offensive rating with …
- Rondo, LeBron and Davis: 92.6
- Schroder, LeBron and Davis: 116.3
Rondo’s lack of pointing and ground clearance are obstacles. Setting up Davis is only part of the offense.
To be fair, Rondo stepped up to the 2020 playoffs. The Lakers scored 113.7 points per 100 possessions, with Rondo, LeBron and Davis sharing the floor in the playoffs.
The Lakers won’t ask as much of Rondo this time around. Los Angeles has Russell Westbrook and Kendrick Nunn as point guard. Rondo’s ability to create plans for Davis offers significant value in certain situations.
But – as Davis will welcome Rondo’s return – the Lakers need to be careful not to miss the forest for the trees with Rondo’s offense.
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