There have been injuries and comebacks aplenty in the NBA this season, but the one comeback I’m waiting for is none other than that of Rajon Rondo’s.
Derrick Rose and Kobe Bryant were the two most talked-about comebacks heading into this season. Sadly for fans of basketball, both find themselves stuck on the sidelines after new injuries struck.
The one comeback that hasn’t gotten as much attention as the aforementioned ones is Rajon Rondo.
Last week Rondo was cleared for full-contact practice – a huge step forward in his long recovery.
When this guy is on, he is near unstoppable.
Rondo tore his ACL in late January against Atlanta. Boston lost that game in double over-time, and amazingly he played roughly 12 minutes with a torn ACL.
Rondo has everything to play for when he does come back. He is the new leader of the Boston Celtics, with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett gone.
He has had doubters his whole career and this is the time to prove them all wrong.
There have been rumours that Rondo is an awful personality to have in and around the locker room. But all we’ve heard so far this season is positive things from teammates.
He has been a constant voice of encouragement and leadership on the bench and has even earned the nickname ‘Coach Rondo’ among fans.
Rondo has travelled with the team all season long and has been a regular in pre-game warm ups.
As the season has progressed, Rondo has become more involved in the full team warm ups. He even played some one-on-one with Courtney Lee earlier this month.
When Rondo does return, he will make a world of difference to the Celtics line-up. Jordan Crawford has done a very honourable job filling in for Rondo, but no one on the Celtics roster can replace Rondo.
Rondo is widely regarded as the best ‘pure’ point guard in the NBA. He is a pass first point guard and brings his teammates into the game and makes them better.
There have been many reports that Rondo has focussed on improving his jump shot while he has been sidelined.
If Rondo returns with a new and improved jump shot, this could spell trouble for the rest of the NBA.
Rondo paired with Avery Bradley makes for a great back court. Bradley has been shooting the lights out lately and I expect that to continue and even improve when Rondo is on the court.
While talking to the media yesterday after the Celtics got comprehensively beaten by the Pacers, Rondo hinted he won’t be back anytime soon.
“I’ve had one practice and a pick-up game. That’s about it,” he said.
He also said there was no timetable for his return.
Although it may still be a month or more until we see Rondo on the court, it is good see that he isn’t rushing back and risking further injury.
Who else can’t wait to see Rajon Rondo, the triple-double machine, back on the court?
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