Rajon Rondo was an important element in the sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans over the Portland Trail Blazers. Compared to the Regular Season he improved his performance enormously – a well-known pattern at Mr. “Playoff” Rondo.
“The season is divided into five parts. Preseason, Regular Season before and after the All-Star-Game, Playoffs and Finals”, Rondo told Fox Sports New Orleans: “One should improve from step to step”. A rule he masters like no other.
Often he stands out in the Regular Season due to his lack of discipline and commitment. Hardly any other player polarizes as extremely as Rondo. But: “In the playoffs he’s in a completely different mode,” says Anthony Davis about his team-mate.
This mode change is clearly recognizable by its career stats. 10.5 points, 8.5 assists and close rebounds in the regular season – in the playoffs he makes a good move in all areas (14.3, 9.2, 6). Even the greatest Rondo critics must be aware of one thing: Rondo is still able to optimally stage his fellow players even at the age of 32. He feeds Davis and Jrue Holiday, uses AD’s attraction to the opponent’s defense perfectly and finds the free man at the perimeter. “Rondo is the guy who conducts the game,” says the brow praisingly.
He clearly proved his skills as a conductor in the short series against the Trail Blazers. 53 Assists put Rondo on the scoreboard in the four games. In a sweep, only a certain Magic Johnson could play more assists. With 17 templates in the first game, he equalled the Pelican franchise record.
Pels coach Alvin Gentry explains: “With his style of play, he lets his team-mates believe in themselves. From downtown, the pelicans hit 52.9 percent when Rondo serves the shooter. “He’s one of the smartest players in the league,” Blazers coach Terry Stotts had to admit.
He wanted to take advantage of Rondo’s greatest weakness: His – actually – non-existent litter. Not even 30 percent is hit by the point guard seen from downtown over his career. So little that the Trail Blazers didn’t think it was necessary to defend him. “Nothing there,” Rondo thought to himself: He pulled away from the perimeter as often as never before (1.8 times per game) and hit a whopping 43 percent.
In game 2 he also proved his cold-bloodedness. At the score of 105:100 for NOLA at 46 seconds on the clock, Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum Holiday double on the pear, but the ball runs well and finds Rondo open in the corner. While Lillard shuffles out, pull the trigger on Rondo – Bang. With his greatest weakness Rondo closes the sack.
Even more important than his offensive accents may have been his strong defense. Especially against the backcourt-heavy blazers Rondo showed his strengths. In the playoffs he uses his days off for intensive video analyses. “He’s a movie junkie and studies his opponent very carefully,” says Davis: “He knows his opponent’s play before they play it.”
In association with Holiday, who defends individually, Rondo put the stars of the blazers cold. The backcourt, which had shot everything to pieces at the end of the regular season, hit around 43 percent. Only McCollum did well in Game 4 – otherwise he and Lillard remained cold.
“Playoff Rondo turned up against the Boston Celtics again last season. Back then in the jersey of the Chicago Bulls Rondo played alongside Jimmy Butler and Dwyane Wade. Isaiah Thomas and her Celtics finished the season as First Seed, while the Bulls fought their way into the playoffs.
With the help of poison dwarf Rondo, the Bulls secured the first two games in Boston – the mega-upset seemed more than just possible. The key to the turnaround? Rondo’s injury, which ended the series for him. Also for the Bulls it was quite fast after that, Boston won the next four games. Similar things could have happened this season, but Rondo remained fit. His health is generally an important factor this season. He missed the first 13 games, then he was on the pitch in 65 games and started in 63 of them.
Fitness he needs, because the boss is already waiting on the horizon: The Golden State Warriors. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson – The Splash Brothers will have to bite their teeth out on the Pels’ strong defense.
For the Pelicans to have a realistic chance against the Warriors, AD must continue to rage, Nikola Mirotic must keep his hot hand, and Rondo must integrate another level into his seasonal division.