In the early days of the Los Angeles Lakers’ training camp, exactly who will serve as the team’s starting point guard officially remains unknown.
However, a new report indicates that either Rajon Rondo or new addition Avery Bradley will emerge as the victor in this battle.
Mike Trudell of NBA.com offered an assessment on the process following the first two days of practice. Both Rajon and Bradley took turns showing off their talents, with Alex Caruso trying to solidify a reserve role.
“At Saturday’s Day 1 of practice, it was Rajon Rondo playing with the 1st team,” Trudell wrote. “On Sunday, it was Avery Bradley. Meanwhile, Alex Caruso has been a steady presence with the 2nd team, and will definitely be getting minutes and the opportunity for more as the season goes on. But it would appear that Rondo and Bradley have the first chance to work with the 1’s.”
Rondo is more of a traditional point guard and has sharpened his shot from beyond the arc during the offseason. Those factors, coupled with the veteran’s overall grasp of the nuances of the sport have caught the attention of Lakers head coach Frank Vogel.
Yet, Bradley brings solid defense every time he steps on the court and is also adept at connecting on 3-pointers. His playmaking numbers, such as a 1.8 career assists-per-game average, don’t match up to Rondo’s. Still, that may not be a major concern, depending on how much of the offense LeBron James puts upon his shoulders.
During the offseason, James was reported as a top candidate to start at point guard due to his abilities in all aspects of the game. That was before the Lakers were forced to deal with the potentially season-ending ACL injury of DeMarcus Cousins and Kyle Kuzma’s stress fracture in his left foot.
In the latter case, Kuzma’s injury isn’t expected to keep him out long. Still it makes James’ presence on the front line more important at the present time. The Lakers have three weeks to make a decision on their point guard quandary before they get the regular season underway on Oct. 22 against the Los Angeles Clippers.
