The Los Angeles Lakers could have injured guard Rajon Rondo back in the bubble sooner than expected, with the veteran on his way to Florida on Wednesday.
Lakers head coach Frank Vogel revealed the news on Rondo while speaking to reporters on Tuesday.
“He’s definitely going to come back into the bubble very soon,” head coach Frank Vogel told reporters Tuesday. “I I think he’s making his way to Florida tomorrow and will spend a certain period of time outside of the bubble before he’s reintegrated inside of the bubble.”
Rondo fractured his thumb during a practice early on in the bubble. His timeline was set at six to eight weeks, with Vogel assuming the veteran guard would be back in action around the second round of the playoffs.
“We’re very confident that he’ll be able to get back and be a major factor for us in our playoff run,” Vogel said previously.
Rondo was going to be a key cog for the Lakers in Orlando. He has averaged 20.5 minutes per game this season — the lowest of his career. However, he’s found a way to be a contributor with 7.1 points, five assists and three rebounds per game. He’s also a big veteran presence with championship experience, something that is not easily replicated.
Dion Waiters Taking Big Role With Rajon Rondo Out
GettyLakers guard Dion Waiters.
In the absence of Rondo, Dion Waiters has stepped up in the rotation. Waiters has averaged a little over 20 minutes per game and has taken on a ball-handling role in the second unit. Waiters could be shooting better from beyond the arc, going just 3-of-14. But he feels like his shot will start dropping soon.
“Me, it’s still just trying to be aggressive,” Waiters told the Los Angeles Times. “Be who I am. Attack, make plays for myself and others. I know my rhythm gonna come. I know my shot gonna fall eventually. But if I’m doing the little things right now, and just trying to get that rhythm and gain momentum into the playoffs, I’ll be fine. I’m not worried about my shot. I know that’s gonna fall eventually. And just continue to keep working. But I’m doing all the little things, getting to the basket, creating, just the little things.”
Lakers Lock Up Top Seed in Western Conference
When the playoffs begin, the Lakers will have the top seed in the Western Conference, which they locked up with a win on Monday night against the Utah Jazz. The Lakers hadn’t made the playoffs since the 2012-13 season, finishing well under .500 the last six seasons. But having LeBron James and Anthony Davis has helped propel the Lakers to the top of the Western Conference for the first time in a decade.
With five games left, Vogel still believes that his team can get better before the postseason rolls around.
“We still have a lot of areas to continue to improve before we feel like we’re ready to win games in the playoffs and to be at the level that we want to reach,” Vogel said on Tuesday. “So for us, we’re still in habit building mode and continuing to just iron some things out. We’re not quite where we were, in my opinion, when the hiatus hit, so our mindset is to continue to play our guys and to get there.”
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Lakers Deliver Optimistic Update on Rajon Rondo