It’s safe to say this season hasn’t panned out the way Rajon Rondo envisioned over the summer when he made the decision to join the Chicago Bulls during free agency.
Rajon Rondo thought he’d be able to ‘run the show’ with the Bulls
Only Chicago’s roster makeup is vastly different from the championship Celtics team.
Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
Rondo told reporters he was sold on a Bulls tenure that would be similar to his time managing Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen as part of the championship Boston Celtics team. This season has been far from it.
“I was very cautious this summer, where I chose to play,” Rondo said, per NBA.com’s David Aldridge. “What I was told in the meeting … it’s a little different (now) from what I was told. That’s all I can say.”
“That’s what I do best,” Rondo said later. “I managed how to get three Hall of Famers the ball and keep everybody happy. All I have is two this year (Wade and, presumably, Butler) and I had one (presumably, DeMarcus Cousins) last year. It’s pretty simple. That’s what I do. I run the show.”
Rondo’s career took flight during the Celtics’ 2007-08 championship season, where he averaged 10.6 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.2 rebounds as the floor general managing three future Hall of Fame players. He went on to average 9.8 assists or better in each season between 2009-10 and 2014-15.
But things took a turn for the worse after a torn ACL in 2013. A midseason trade to Dallas a year later ended in frequent heated arguments with head coach Rick Carlisle.
Rondo found some success with a floundering Sacramento Kings team last season, leading the NBA with 11.7 assists per game. This season hasn’t been the revelation he was looking for.
Rondo found himself benched just a week ago and thinks the personnel on his new team may have something to do with it. He also dished some serious disrespect toward his Kings teammates from last season.
“It’s just, maybe, the personnel in this situation,” he said. “I mean, last year — I hate to keep talking about last year — but you couldn’t name three people on my team, the Sacramento Kings, and I led the league in assists. You know? I don’t know. I believe so (that his skill set still has value), given the right personnel and the flow of the game.”
Rondo played six more minutes (35.2) with the Kings last season than he’s played this year (29.3), where he is averaging 7.2 points, 7.0 assists and 6.1 rebounds per game.
He is also playing with more ball-dominant talent in likely All-Star starter Jimmy Butler and future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade.
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