More than a shadow of himself in the doldrums of Los Angeles, Rajon Rondo has found some color since his transfer to Cleveland at the beginning of January. Coming to replace Ricky Rubio in the role of the experienced lining of Darius Garland, the 2008 and 2020 champion finds his marks in this Cavaliers team which continues to amaze.
After a game with 15 assists and 12 assists against the Pacers last week, the veteran delivered another quality performance tonight against the same Indiana team. Abused from the first quarter, and yet behind by 21 points before half-time, JB Bickerstaff’s men reversed the trend after the break and managed to win.
And Rondo has something to do with it: never panicked despite Cleveland’s significant delay on the scoreboard, the former Kentucky point guard has slowly but surely put his team back on track. He completed the game with 17 points (6/7), 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals, his most successful game since arriving in Ohio last month. Despite 16 seasons on the clock in the league, the player still has some under the hood.
” The reason we made this transfer is because we thought he could help us.” explained the coach of the Cavaliers after the improbable victory of his players. ” I have absolute confidence in him. Even though he hasn’t been with us long, just look at his entire career, all the things he has achieved in this league. These are things that have a positive impact on a team. […] He was all in control, that’s the thing with him. A team takes us by surprise as they [les Pacers] have done so, the reaction is to try to get back into the game quickly, you will run behind the score. But when he is on the pitch, everyone trusts him, his presence is reassuring for his teammates.“
While he brought only 3.1 points and 3.7 assists per game in 16 minutes during his 18 games in Los Angeles, Rajon Rondo finds an important role in a stable configuration in Cleveland. In 12 games so far, he is averaging 7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds in 22 minutes per game. A real X factor when coming off the bench.
” I wasn’t playing the way I expected in LA, but coming here was a positive upheaval for me. Maybe I’ll play 10 more years, who knows. he concluded humorously.
| Rajon Rondo | Percentage | Bounces | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | GM | Minimum | Shots | 3 points | LF | Off | Def | Early | pd | party | Int | bp | CT | Points |
| 2006-07 | BOS | 78 | 24 | 41.8 | 20.7 | 64.7 | 1.0 | 2.8 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 2.3 | 1.6 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 6.4 |
| 2007-08 | BOS | 77 | 30 | 49.2 | 26.3 | 61.1 | 1.0 | 3.2 | 4.2 | 5.1 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 10.6 |
| 2008-09 | BOS | 80 | 33 | 50.5 | 31.2 | 64.2 | 1.3 | 4.0 | 5.2 | 8.2 | 2.4 | 1.9 | 2.6 | 0.1 | 11.9 |
| 2009-10 | BOS | 81 | 37 | 50.8 | 21.2 | 62.1 | 1.2 | 3.2 | 4.4 | 9.8 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 3.0 | 0.1 | 13.7 |
| 2010-11 | BOS | 68 | 37 | 47.5 | 23.3 | 56.8 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 4.4 | 11.2 | 1.8 | 2.3 | 3.4 | 0.2 | 10.6 |
| 2011-12 | BOS | 53 | 37 | 44.8 | 23.8 | 59.7 | 1.2 | 3.7 | 4.9 | 11.7 | 1.9 | 1.8 | 3.6 | 0.1 | 11.9 |
| 2012-13 | BOS | 38 | 37 | 48.4 | 24.0 | 64.5 | 1.1 | 4.5 | 5.6 | 11.1 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 3.9 | 0.2 | 13.7 |
| 2013-14 | BOS | 30 | 33 | 40.3 | 28.9 | 62.7 | 0.7 | 4.7 | 5.5 | 9.8 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 3.3 | 0.1 | 11.7 |
| 2014-15* | All Teams | 68 | 30 | 42.6 | 31.4 | 39.7 | 1.1 | 4.4 | 5.5 | 7.9 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 3.1 | 0.1 | 8.9 |
| 2014-15* | DAL | 46 | 29 | 43.6 | 35.2 | 45.2 | 1.0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 2.4 | 1.2 | 2.9 | 0.1 | 9.3 |
| 2014-15* | BOS | 22 | 32 | 40.5 | 25.0 | 33.3 | 1.1 | 6.4 | 7.5 | 10.8 | 1.9 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 0.1 | 8.3 |
| 2015-16 | BAG | 72 | 35 | 45.4 | 36.5 | 58.0 | 1.1 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 11.7 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 3.9 | 0.1 | 11.9 |
| 2016-17 | CHI | 69 | 27 | 40.8 | 37.6 | 60.0 | 1.1 | 4.1 | 5.1 | 6.7 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 0.2 | 7.8 |
| 2017-18 | NOP | 65 | 26 | 46.8 | 33.3 | 54.3 | 0.5 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 8.2 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 2.3 | 0.2 | 8.3 |
| 2018-19 | ALL | 46 | 30 | 40.5 | 35.9 | 63.9 | 0.7 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 8.0 | 2.2 | 1.2 | 2.8 | 0.2 | 9.2 |
| 2019-20 | ALL | 48 | 21 | 41.8 | 32.8 | 65.9 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 5.0 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 0.0 | 7.1 |
| 2020-21 * | All Teams | 45 | 17 | 44.2 | 40.4 | 94.1 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 4.4 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 5.4 |
| 2020-21 * | ATL | 27 | 15 | 40.0 | 37.8 | 50.0 | 0.2 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 0.1 | 3.9 |
| 2020-21 * | LAKE | 18 | 20 | 48.6 | 43.2 | 100.0 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 5.8 | 1.6 | 1.0 | 2.2 | 0.1 | 7.6 |
| 2021-22 * | All Teams | 29 | 18 | 34.3 | 31.3 | 82.4 | 0.5 | 2.5 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 1.5 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 0.2 | 4.5 |
| 2021-22 * | ALL | 18 | 16 | 32.4 | 26.7 | 50.0 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 3.7 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 3.1 |
| 2021-22 * | KEY | 11 | 21 | 36.2 | 35.1 | 86.7 | 0.3 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 4.7 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 6.9 |
| Total | 947 | 30 | 45.6 | 32.2 | 61.1 | 1.0 | 3.6 | 4.6 | 8.0 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 2.7 | 0.1 | 9.8 | |
