After winning a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, Rajon Rondo signed with the Atlanta Hawks during the offseason but has been troubled by injury.
When Rajon Rondo decided to bring his talents down south to the Atlanta Hawks, he was not expecting to be injured for five of the first seven games. Now the Hawks have released that he will be out for the next three games as a minimum.
Rondo was out for the first two games and then missed the last three due to his right knee. The Hawks have announced that he will be out for the two games against the Charlotte Hornets and then the game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
He will be re-evaluated before the Hawks head on their three-game Western conference road swing which takes in the Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, and Portland Trail Blazers. All three of these teams are expected to feature in the playoffs so will be a good test for the rejuvenated Hawks.
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How Rajon Rondo impacts the Atlanta Hawks.
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Rondo is a 14 year veteran with a host of awards to his name including being a two-time NBA champion. Not only does he bring veteran leadership, which is something the Hawks need, but he also brings savvy know-how to any game situation, and this would be invaluable against the three Western conference teams they will play on the road trip.
With him not playing, and with Kris Dunn still being out, when Trae Young takes a breather on the bench, coach Lloyd Pierce had to turn to third-year man Brandon Goodwin. He has been playing well but does not have the same playmaking ability and defensive acumen as the four-time all defensive and one-time steals champion that is Rondo.
In the two games that he has played, Rondo has collected 12 points and eight assists in the win against the Detroit Pistons and then had six assists in the loss against the Brooklyn Nets. He did not score but only put up two shots, showing that he makes the right call about when to shoot and when to set up a teammate.
As the season wears on and the rest of the NBA gets a handle on how the Hawks play, having a veteran like Rondo who can change things up a bit on the court will be valuable. Then, when the Hawks make the playoffs, Rondo will show is all that he still has it like he did last season.