Rajon Rondo has finally settled down with a team that has put him to good use, and the NBA vet is responding in a big way.
After his forgettable stint with the Dallas Mavericks, Rondo’s career has finally been placed on the right track with the Sacramento Kings. He has been orchestrating magnificently, and many are taking notice – including his former coach Rick Carlisle.
“George has done a great job of putting him in a position where he can really maximize his abilities,” Carlisle said via Kentucky Sports. “Coming off of this year, he’s a max player next year.
Coming from someone that Rondo had differences with, those kinds words from Carlisle come as a bit of a surprise, although it is apparent that he tried to fit Rondo with the Mavs’ system but failed.
He adds that the opportunity to get Rondo was something that they may have shied away from, but with that obviously out of his hands, the best he could do was to try to work with what he has.
As everyone knows, it never happened, and the two even crossed paths. That happened last February when Rondo and Carlisle got into a heated argument.
Recalling that instance via NESN, Carlisle had wanted Rondo to push the ball up court but Rondo brought it up slowly. During a timeout, Carlisle yelled at Rondo, and the heated exchange started there.
Things were never the same from that point, with Rondo riding the bench for most parts of the Mavs games, a clear sign that Rondo’s days with the Mavericks were over.
Rondo wasn’t exactly the most sought-after free agent in the summer, mainly because he was still struggling and was far from the Rondo of old.
With that said and with most teams seemingly preferring to hook other younger players without issues, Rondo ended up settling for a one-year $10 million deal with the Sacramento Kings.
Thus far, he has been shining once again since his Boston Celtic days. He has been playmaking magnificently and getting his teammates involved. He may not be scoring but his uncanny passing ability apparently overshadowed all other things he has done so far.
Rondo is averaging 12.4 points and currently leads the league in assists with 11 per game.
At the rate he is going, Rondo may have just rebounded in time to up his stock for next summer as he hopes to hook up with a long overdue max deal.