Post by Admin on Jan 16, 2018 0:07:50 GMT -5
Brad Stevens wowed by Rajon Rondo's passing in tight spaces, Al Horford says injury won't hold him back
By Jay King
AP Photo/David Zalubowski
BOSTON -- Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens gave a nod to Rajon Rondo's passing wizardry Monday afternoon, calling the New Orleans Pelicans point guard "the best passer in small areas I've ever seen."
Since the Celtics traded Rondo in 2014, the four-time All-Star has hopped around the NBA, playing for the Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls before signing a one-year contract with the Pelicans this summer.
"Rondo's been good this year," Stevens said after practice Monday. "He's shooting the ball well and he is scoring off pick-and-rolls maybe even more than in the past. I think (Pelicans star big men DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis) draw attention and guys are recovering to them quickly and Rondo fakes it and turns the corner and does what he does.
"Then he's just a guy that's been there and he's always made the guys around him better with his ability to pass the ball. He's great at finding people in small areas. I thought he was the best passer in small areas I've ever seen. And those guys are benefiting from it certainly."
Rondo had a reputation for being difficult early in his career, but flipped the script last season in Chicago.
"I've always said that he was good here when I was here," Stevens said. "We struggled obviously but he was hurt most of the time. He had the ACL, didn't play until the middle of my first year, then, second year, got hurt right before training camp and missed all of training camp and then only played 20 games. I didn't spend a ton of time with him but he was always really good to me."
Horford OK
Al Horford returned to practice Monday after sitting out the session two days earlier. Despite not knowing exactly what to call his injury, the star big man did not sound overly concerned.
"It's the calf, behind the knee area, the trainers probably have a better understanding of it," Horford said. "But it's fine. It's not going to hold me back.
"I was able to practice today so I should be good to go for tomorrow. No scans. It's responded better. I'm just excited for the game tomorrow."
Describing when the injury occurred, Horford said, "It was the Minnesota game in the first half, I came back and played the second and the next day it was just bothering me a lot. I couldn't do what I needed on the court. So that Brooklyn game we figured that an extra day would help me to play in London, and it did. We're just monitoring it right now and just taking it day to day."
Davis, Cousins a tough duo
The Pelicans have a rare one-two combo of star big men with Cousins and Davis.
"I just think you have two of the best bigs in the league playing next to each other," Stevens said. "Both are supremely skilled. DeMarcus plays at the top of the key a lot with the ball. He's an isolation matchup problem there as well as the block. And his ability to pass the ball and kinda initiate offense has allowed them to play on a bunch of different unique actions with another big. And obviously Davis, his ability to score the ball, his ability to roll to the rim in transition, all that stuff. They're both very very good."
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