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The Dallas Mavericks fell to the Houston Rockets 99-111 in game 2 of the NBA Playoff series Tuesday Night. However, for Mavs point guard Rajon Rondo, this loss may be the least of his worries. After only 10 minutes and scoring a seldom 4 points, Rondo was benched by Carlisle in Tuesday night’s game. Rondo suddenly reported a back injury, pulling him out for the rest of the season – perhaps playing his last game in a Mavericks jersey.
Coach Rick Carlisle clearly stated he doesn’t see Rondo returning to the Mavericks, reported Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.
“Do you expect Rajon Rondo to ever wear a Mavericks uniform again? “No, I do not.'”
So, what does this mean for Dallas?
The loss of Rondo may not be as bad as it seems. His stats aren’t what they used to be, with a career low single-digit points average and only averaging 6.5 assists per game. Dallas fans may welcome the firm decision from Carlisle.
Many analysts believe that getting rid of Rondo will be good for Dallas. The Mavs offense seems to be hindered by his playmaker state of mind and lack of shooting. Grantland’s Zach Lowe noted during Tuesday’s game, “they are running more plays precisely because Rond’s lack of shooting makes it harder to just run “flow”.
While Rondo may be one of the greatest passers in modern NBA history, his style of play doesn’t mesh with the Mavericks offense. There’s too many other scorers on the roster to justify Rondo’s passing agenda. Defenders leave him to pressure the more realistic scoring threats. His presence on the floor takes away from other real scorers, and leaves power forward Dirk Nowitski fighting for his life.
This loss will allow other Mavs superstars like J.J. Barea and Raymond Felton to take advantage of open looks provided by Dirk and his unparalleled ability to pull defenders.
However, the near future isn’t bright for the Mavericks. Down 0-3 in the series with the Rockets, it is unlikely they will move on to the next round.
