Rajon Rondo got a new team, Francisco Garcia lost his current one, Gorgui Dieng had a great game against LeBron & Co. and Russ Smith scored the first points his his NBA career.
Here’s a closer look at how Rondo and the trio of University of Louisville products on NBA rosters did in the eighth week of the season.
Rondo (Dallas Mavericks): The Louisville native, former University of Kentucky standout point guard and ninth-year pro was finally traded from the Boston Celtics, to the Mavericks last Thursday. The mercurial PG averaged 10.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 9.3 assists in his first three games with Dallas, which went 1-2.
In his first game with the Mavs, Rondo had six points, seven rebounds and nine assists in their 99-93 win over visiting San Antonio. He was 3 for 11 from the field, including 0 of 1 from 3-point range, while also recording two steals and committing four turnovers in 34 minutes.
Then Monday night, he tallied 13 points, four rebounds and 11 assists in Dallas’ 105-102 loss to visiting Atlanta. He was 6 for 15 from the field, including 1 of 3 from 3-point range, while also registering three steals, one blocked shot and three turnovers in 33 minutes.
The next night he had 13 points, six rebounds and eight assists in the Mavericks’ 124-115 loss at Phoenix. Rondo was 6 for 14 from the field, including 1 of 1 from 3-point range, and also had one steal and five turnovers in 31 minutes.
For the season Rondo is averaging 8.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and a league-leading 10.6 assists per game for the Mavs (20-9), who are in third place in the Southwest Division.
Dieng (Minnesota Timberwolves): The second-year center from UofL is coming off another productive week for Minnesota. Dieng averaged 13 points, 7.3 rebounds and two blocked shots in three games.
He had nine points, four rebounds and two blocked shots in the Timberwolves’ 114-98 loss at Boston last Friday night. Dieng was 4 for 10 from the field and 1 of 1 from the free throw line while also recording two blocks, one assist, one steal and two turnovers in 33 minutes.
Two days later he tallied 10 points and seven rebounds in Minnesota’s 100-96 loss to visiting Indiana. He was 3 for 5 from the field and 4 of 4 from the free throw line while also registering three assists and four turnovers in 33 minutes.
Then, Tuesday night Dieng tallied a season-high 20 points, 11 rebounds and season-high-tying four blocked shots in the T-Wolves’ 125-104 loss to the Fighting LeBrons at Cleveland. He was 6 for 10 from the field and 8 of 8 from the free throw line while also recording three steals, two assists and two turnovers in 36 minutes.
For the season Dieng is averaging 9.2 points, eight rebounds and two assists per game for Minnesota (5-22), which is fifth in the Northwest Division and has the worst record in the Western Conference.
Garcia (Houston Rockets): The 10th-year swingman from UofL, who has played sparingly this season, was cut by the Rockets this past Friday to possibly end his NBA career.
Garcia, who had been slowed by a calf injury recently, got a “DNP Coach’s Decision” due to that ailment in the Rockets’ 99-90 loss to visiting New Orleans this past Thursday night. That was his last game in a Houston uniform. He was released by the Rockets, who acquired veteran swingman Corey Brewer earlier in the week, the next day.
Garcia averaged 3.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 14 games for Houston this season.
Smith (New Orleans Pelicans): The rookie guard from UofL scored his first points with the Pelicans after playing one last game with the Fort Wayne (Ind.) Mad Ants of the NBA Development League.
He scored 19 points in a Mad Ants’ win this past Friday night before being recalled New Orleans. The next night he scored five points in 15 minutes of the Pelicans’ 114-88 loss to Portland. Smith was 2 for 7 from the field, including 1 of 4 from 3-point range, while also registering two assists and three turnovers.
Russdiculous then got a “DNP Coach’s Decision” in New Orleans’ 101-99 win at Oklahoma City on Sunday and its 96-84 loss at Indiana on Tuesday.
Smith is averaging 1.3 points in four appearances with the Pelicans (12-12) this season.
Photo courtesy of the Dallas Mavericks Facebook Page
