For someone who wasn’t even supposed to be on the court at the start of the NBA season, Rajon Rondo is off to a pretty good start.
The Louisville native and former University of Kentucky standout point guard suffered a broken left finger when he fell in the shower at his home Sept. 25. After having surgery to repair the damaged digit he was expected to miss six to eight weeks. Rondo, however, was in the starting lineup for the Boston Celtics’ season-opener last Wednesday. Despite playing with a bandaged left hand Rondo has shown no ill effects, averaging 9.3 points, 9 rebounds and 12.5 assists per game for Boston (1-3).
Here’s a closer look at how Rondo and a trio of University of Louisville products on NBA rosters did in the first week of the season.
Rondo (Boston Celtics): The former Eastern High School and UK standout, who is in his ninth year in the league, nearly had a triple-double in leading the Celtics to a 121-105 victory over Brooklyn in their season-opener last Wednesday night. Rondo recorded 13 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in Boston’s win. He was 6 for 9 from the field, including 1 of 3 from 3-point range, but 0-for-4 from the foul line. He also had one steal, one blocked shot and three turnovers in 30 minutes.
In his second game Rondo had four points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in the Celtics’ 104-90 loss at Houston on Saturday night. He was 2 for 9 from the field, including 0 of 1 from 3-point range, and also had five turnovers and three steals in 34 minutes.
In his third game Rondo had seven points, nine rebounds and 15 assists in Boston’s 118-113 loss at Dallas on Monday night. He was 3 for 11 from the field, including 0 of 1 from 3-point range, and 1 for 2 from the free throw line in 37 minutes. He also tallied two steals and five turnovers.
In his fourth game Rondo recorded his first triple-double of the season with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 15 assists in the Celtics’ 110-107 loss to Toronto. He was 5 for 8 from the field, 3 of 4 from the free throw line and had five turnovers in 37 minutes.
Gorgui Dieng (Minnesota Timberwolves): The second-year center from UofL is averaging 5.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.8 blocked shots in a reserve role for the Timberwolves (2-2) in their first four games.
Dieng had six points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots in 19 minutes off the bench in Minnesota’s 105-101 loss at Memphis in its season-opener last Wednesday night.
In his second game Dieng had four points, five rebounds and two blocked shots in 17 minutes off the bench in the T-Wolves’ 97-91 win over visiting Detroit last Thursday night.
He tallied 10 points and grabbed eight rebounds off the bench in the T-Wolves’ 106-105 loss to Chicago on Saturday night. He was 3 for 4 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free throw line in 16 minutes.
Wednesday night Dieng scored two points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked two shots off the bench in the T-Wolves’ 98-91 win at Brooklyn. He was 1 for 4 from the field in 16 minutes.
Francisco Garcia (Houston Rockets): The 10th year swingman from UofL, who has averaged 8 points per game in his career, has yet to get off the bench for the Rockets, who are off to a 5-0 start.
Garcia has gotten the dreaded “DNP Coach’s Decision” in each of Houston’s first five games, most recently its 108-91 win at Miami on Tuesday night.
Russ Smith (New Orleans Pelicans): The rookie guard from UofL went scoreless in four minutes Tuesday night in his debut for New Orleans.
Smith, who averaged 5 points and 1.1 assists per game in the preseason, was inactive for the Pelicans’ first two games (he was listed with a sprained left thumb on the team’s injury report), then got the “DNP Coach’s Decision” in their 93-81 loss at Memphis on Monday night. He finally made his first appearance in New Orleans’ 100-91 win over Charlotte on Tuesday. Russdiculous missed his only shot, a 3-pointer, and had two turnovers and two fouls in just four minutes.
Photo courtesy of the Boston Celtics Facebook Page