After suffering a partially torn ACL back in January, Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo is in no rush to return back to the game. With the NBA season just 27 days away, Rondo told reporters earlier this week that he wants to take it slow and make sure he is mentally prepared to return back to the court. Rondo underwent a successful surgery in February and has participated in light activities, but has not yet been cleared for contact.
Rondo seems to be confident about his recovery, we can almost be sure to count on him to be back this season as the same player. It definitely won’t take him a whole season to recover like Chicago Bulls’ point guard Derrick Rose. However, the question that looms over Celtics fans everywhere is, “How will Boston manage without the old reliable veterans, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry?” The three veteran players were traded to the Brooklyn Nets back in July. The Boston Celtics will officially be Rondo’s team and will definitely be in a rebuilding phase.
With Rondo being arguably one of the best point guards in the league, the backup guards have a pretty serious void to fill. Rookie head coach Brad Stevens is very confident in the other options that they have to use at the point. Avery Bradley is definitely the number one option; he was great for Boston last year after Rondo was injured, especially defensively. Jordan Crawford and Phil Pressy are the other options for the point guard position.
As for the loss that Boston is suffering down low, Brandon Bass and Jeff Green, both who had great games here and there for the Celtics in previous seasons, need to step up. Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries were also acquired by Boston from the trade with Brooklyn. In a matter of months, the Boston Celtics have become a team with many young legs which will definitely help them in the long run. Hopefully the team can hold their own until their commander in chief in Rondo is ready to return.