Each week, I will choose one player to highlight as the New Orleans Pelicans Player of the Week. We’d love to hear your feedback, in the comments or on Twitter.
This week, I’ll be highlighting the return of Rajon Rondo, who is currently on a minutes restriction but continues to excite fans whenever he is on the court.
When the New Orleans Pelicans originally signed Rajon Rondo it was met with a mixed reaction. With his best years behind him and with the league moving towards three-point shooting, the league looked to pass Rondo by. However, since returning from injury Rondo has showcased that he still has something left in the tank.
Rondo, despite not being a threat to score himself is using his high basketball IQ to create efficient offense. He hits cutters with excellent timing and sets up teammates effortlessly. We have seen the Pelicans guards struggle all year to make decisions on the fly, and that is something that Rondo will help alleviate.
In the short time Rondo has played, he has made the Pelicans better. His knack for setting up others allows Rondo to make the decision for them. Players no longer have to handle the burden of trying to make plays, they just need to finish their opportunities.
This was on display in the 4th quarter against the Thunder. Anthony Davis missed two straight jumpers badly after trying to create off the dribble. However, he nailed his next two jumpers after being assisted Rondo and essentially iced the game.
The difference?
AD was decisive, Rondo set him up and Anthony did not think about how he was going to attack the defense. He just rose up and let it fly.
Despite his well-documented struggles, there is no denying that Rondo’s basketball IQ is off the charts. That certainly has been on display so far in New Orleans. The team trusts Rondo to handle the ball in big moments because you can rely on him to make the right play. It is why he has 22 total assists this year with only 4 turnovers.
Now, assist are at times a misleading stat, but the Pelicans have struggled all year to take care of the basketball and finally having a reliable ball-handler will maximize possessions. Defensively the Pelicans are giving up a lot of size, though part of the Pelicans plan is daring opponents to shoot over them.
It is going to be tough to gauge Rondo’s value on that end until he is off of minute restriction and garners a larger sample size but it’s clear that his presence boosts the offense.
The idea of how Rondo would fit was always a debate but its clear to see where his role lies. Rondo is the conductor, the guy the Pelicans rely on when the game slows down. He will take care of the ball while setting up AD and Jrue who are more natural finishers.
I compare it to a running-back trying to run out the clock. Rondo will take care of the ball and hopefully give the Pelicans good enough looks down the stretch to win close games.
Next: Solomon Hill’s absence glaringly obvious in Pelicans defense
One thing that is clear is that the Rondo’s play will certainly be a factor this year. The Pelicans are a team void of natural play-makers. So far Rondo has take advantage of that as he looks to resurrect his NBA reputation.