New Clipper Finally Set to Make His Debut vs. Old Team, Lakers

Getty Rajon Rondo, left, and LeBron James

At long last, the new Clipper is set to appear. Rajon Rondo, traded for Lou Williams back on March 25—the date of the NBA trade deadline—will suit up for the Clippers in their Easter clash with the Lakers at Staples Center.

Ty Lue, who was an assistant coach with the Celtics when Rondo was playing in Boston from 2011-13, made the announcement Saturday.

“Just plug him in and see what he knows and what he picks up,” Lue said, per SI.com. “It’s easy to go through plays in practice, but when you’ve got to pick up the game on the fly, it’s a little different. I know how smart he is. … It’s going to be good to see him get on the floor and see where we can get better, and continue to keep working on it.”

Guard Patrick Beverley is expected to continue to miss time with a knee injury. Reggie Jackson is the likely starter, with Rondo taking significant backup minutes against the Lakers, for whom he played last year.

Former Exec: Rondo Played Like ‘Horsesh**’ in Atlanta

It will be worth watching whether Rondo bounces back now that he is in a new environment and playing on national television. He was a disappointment to start the season in Atlanta, where he signed in the offseason. Former Nets executive Bobby Marks, now working for ESPN, was about as blunt as possible when it came to how Rondo has played thus far this season.

“Let’s face it, and I’m gonna use the PG-13 version of this,” Marks said. “Rondo has been horses*** this year. I mean, he has.”

That is not far from the truth, no matter how much you might be inclined to defend the 35-year-old veteran point guard. Rondo has not been totally healthy and when he has, he’s averaged just 14.9 minutes in 21 games, putting up a measly 3.9 points and 3.5 assists. What’s worse, he is signed in 2021-22 for $7.5 million, so the Clippers’ commitment to him likely will go on past this season.

Of course, nothing is ever simple when it comes to Rondo, and his numbers alone don’t measure his impact. The Clippers did not really want him for the 3.9 points a night he provides, but rather for his ability to run the offense and take ballhandling pressure off Paul George and Kawhi Leonard—and for his well-known ability to up his game in the playoffs.

As paltry as his numbers were, the fact that Atlanta was 16-11 when Rondo played and 7-12 when he did not says something about his impact on winning.

Lakers Coach: Rondo is ‘Missed’

The Lakers had an interest in keeping Rondo after last season, but a salary crunch pushed the Lakers too close to the luxury tax threshold and forced them to let him walk.

Without Rondo, the Lakers have patched together a point-guard rotation that has Dennis Schroder and LeBron James, both starters, splitting the duties over much of the game. When reserve guard Alex Caruso checks in, he has been handling point-guard duties, though he is a more natural shooting guard.

Earlier this season, Lakers coach Frank Vogel commented on Rondo.

“He is going to be orchestrating on both sides of the ball,” Vogel said. “But I will say that we really miss him around here. He was a big part of what we did last year, a big part of our culture and he is definitely missed.”