Apparently, Los Angeles Lakers head coach Frank Vogel wants Rajon Rondo rather than Avery Bradley to be the team’s starting point guard for most of the season.
According to the Lakers coach, that’s going to happen in “a lot of games.” So expect to see Rondo handle the playmaking chores more than Bradley or LeBron James when the veteran point guard returns from injury.
Vogel says that when Rondo is indeed back there will be “a lot of games where he’s our starting point guard.” Said he would likely fill Avery Bradley’s spot.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) October 24, 2019
Not only will he start, Rondo will also be playing major minutes.
“I envision Rajon Rondo being a major player for us this year, a 25-30 minute a game guy,” Vogel said during practice on Wednesday. “Whether he starts or comes off the bench. So that naturally will lighten the load.”
The load he is referring to is likely James.’ The four-time MVP looked like he needed a breather in the second half of the Lakers’ 112-102 opening night loss to the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center.
As he has been accustomed to doing in years past, James took care of the playmaking chores a majority of the time against the Clippers. That took its toll on his scoring, as he failed to connect on many of his shots in the third and fourth quarter. He finished the night with only 18 points on 7-of-19 shooting.
Handing off the point guard responsibilities to Rondo will help, but it could also prove detrimental if he misses out on his defensive assignments, something that he has struggled with in recent years.
Nonetheless, Vogel appears to be more concerned with the team’s offensive flow early on, a job that Rondo will definitely be able to help with upon his return.
