Rajon Rondo Deserves To Be An All-Star Reserve
He's not explosive like Russell Westbrook, he can't score like Damian Lillard, and he doesn't have the star quality like Chris Paul, but Rajon Rondo is just as, if not more, deserving to be an All-Star as any of them.
The Western Conference is loaded at the point guard position. With as many elite point guards in the West, a deserving candidate is bound to be left off the playoff roster.
The Sacramento Kings point guard should not be one of those players left off.
He's averaging a double-double on the season.
11.7 points per game. 11.7 assists per game. 6.4 rebounds per game.
Rondo's all-around game is unmatched at the point guard position.
Among Western Conference point guards, Rondo is first in assists, second in rebounding, second in double-doubles, and third in minutes.
His numbers are impressive, but they aren't the sole reason why he should be named an all-star.
After being traded from the Boston Celtics to the Dallas Mavericks at the mid-point of last season, he was thought of as the piece that would make Dallas an instant contender for the title.
Things didn't work out that way. The team went into the tank and it appeared as if Rondo's motivation and work ethic went out the door.
The interest for Rondo around the league wasn't there during the off-season.
The Kings took a chance on Rondo, who has been known to have an explosive personality, because of his ability to be one of the best point guards in the league.
The risk paid off. He has been every bit of the player the Kings wanted and needed.
Sacramento is currently sitting in the 8th spot in the Western Conference, largely because of what Rondo has brought to the team.
He's brought leadership on the court and in the locker room to a team which needed help in both of those areas.
He is the floor general and the player you want to have the ball when the team needs to create a play. The team knows exactly who is going to carry the ball up the court on each possession.
Most importantly, he's given DeMarcus Cousins the help he so desperately needed.
One problem Rondo may have when the league is determining the reserves is that his teammate, Cousins, is having a definite all-star season.
He's also averaging a double-double on the season while scoring a career best 26.1 points per game.
Rondo and Cousins are both playing at an all-star level, but it would be hard to make an argument that an 8th seed team deserves two all-stars.
Spots on the team are limited with each conference having only seven reserves which are selected by the coaches.
It would be a special feat if Cousins gets named to his second straight All-Star game, but it would be that much sweeter if Rondo, who is playing like an all-star, gets named to the West roster as well.
