Rajon Rondo is the last man standing in Boston, and the Celtics believe that they will have their star point guard ready to play by opening night of the 2013-14 season. Rondo, how tore his ACL in the middle of last season, continues his rehab and has not yet set foot on the court.
Rondo is the last remaining core piece from the Celtics team that won the 2008 NBA Championship. A busy off-season has seen coach Doc Rivers head to Los Angeles to take over the Clippers, while Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry, are now members of the Brooklyn Nets. Whenever Rondo does return it will be to a team that is not near as talented as the one he played on prior to his injury.
ESPN reports that GM Danny Ainge considers opening night of the 2013 season to be a “reasonable goal for Rondo to return:
Ainge did admit that the team might have to take it slow with Rondo during training camp starting in late September, but said being ready for opening night in late October was a reasonable goal.
That’s still an aggressive timeline considering Rondo had surgery in February and would be little more than eight months removed from surgery for that partially torn ACL by opening night.
Pierce and Garnett hinted that they have suggested to Rondo to take it slow, maybe noting that there’s little rush to get back for a team in transition. But after Rondo had to sit out the final three months of the 2012-13 season, it’s going to be hard to keep him pinned down.
The Celtics are clearly a rebuilding club, and Rondo will be the focal point of the club next season whenever it is that he is ready to play. Of course that assumes that the Celtics hope to rebuild their club around the 27-year-old point guard, as some NBA analysts believe that it is just a matter of time before Rondo is also gone, in an attempt to make it a complete makeover in Boston.
Last season Rondo played in just 38 games, however he averaged 13.7 points, and 11.1 assists, in what was becoming the best passing season of his career before he suffered the season ending injury.
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