Philadelphia 76ers: Should they go after Rajon Rondo?
The Philadelphia 76ers are building towards the future but in order to do so, they must learn to combine a little veteran presence with the young. Brett Brown has plans to start Ben Simmons at PG and have Markelle Fultz move to the 2-spot. Is that wise? We have yet to see what he can do as a full-time PG but Simmons definitely has the skills to pull it off, however, this is not LSU. Simmons will be placed opposite the likes of Stephen Curry, Isaiah Thomas, Russell Westbrook, John Wall and more. This is where the 76ers need to think about a Rajon Rondo deal.
Rondo is still under contract with the Chicago Bulls but there is talk that he may be traded or brought out. If that happens then the 76ers may want to take a hard look at one of the leading assists men in the NBA. There are reports that Rondo is a bit of a headcase. While that may be true– this young Sixers team could use a player like that leading the charge. Rondo hasn’t been in trouble with the law or anything, he’s just outspoken and in the league, you have to be. This is a business and Rondo understands that.
Imagine what a player like Rondo could do for the 76ers on the court.
Last season his numbers took a dip due to what many will consider personal issues between him, Dwyane Wade and Jimmy Butler. It got so bad that Rondo was benched for part of the year. But during the playoffs, Rondo proved how important he was to the Bulls success as he demolished Thomas in the first two games against the Celtics. But then Rondo went down with an injury and the Bulls have all but hit the reset button on their roster.
Pairing Rondo with Fultz in the backcourt will give him access to possibly the most explosive scorer he’s ever played with. Rondo himself is not much of a scorer. He takes on average– 9-10 shots per game and those are from within the paint area. With PG’s doing a ton of the heavy lifting these days, it’s a breath of fresh air to see one like Rondo who puts the team first. Couple his assists with his tenacious defense and Rondo may still be one of the top PG’s in the NBA.
With Simmons looking to take on the LeBron James role and with Dario Saric and Joel Embiid in the post, Rondo could easily find himself topping his 11 assists per game in 2015. The Sixers will be able to score the ball, however, what they lack is a player to get them in the right position and be able to deliver the ball when necessary.
Say what you want about his personality but when he steps on the court you get 110 percent from him. The 76ers are lacking a veteran presence and Rondo can provide the bridge between growth and winning.
Mark has been covering Sports and Entertainment for the past six years. His work has been featured on Bleacher Report, ESPN, Fox Sports, Teen Vogue, and many other websites.
