Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo could return to the squad sooner than expected, according to his agent, Billy Duffy.
In an interview with CSNNE.com, Duffy revealed that Rondo’s ACL injury is actually a partial tear, opening the possibility of his return a lot earlier than the eight to 12 months first reported.
“It’s still too early to tell for sure,” Duffy said. “But we are very optimistic about his return now that we know his injury is only a partial tear and not a full tear.”
Rondo’s diagnosis was revealed about two weeks ago, when he was scratched from the starting rotation right before the Celtics were due to play the Miami Heat. His injury was revealed as a torn ACL and he was ruled out for the rest of the season. But the team said that he would likely be ready for the start of the 2013-14 season.
The All-Star point guard has yet to have surgery on his injured knee. If he actually has a partial tear, he has the option of letting the knee heal, thus cutting down his recovery time.
However, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge told CSNNE.com that the timetable remains the same for Rondo and the team does not expect him to return this season.
With the absence of Rondo, the Celtics have been on a roll. They have gone 6-0 and defeated the Los Angeles Lakers Thursday night 116-95, with Kevin Garnett breaking the 25,000-point milestone. They improved their record to 26-23 in the Eastern Conference and have moved into the seventh seed.
Rondo is expected to undergo surgery within the next couple of weeks, and the Celtics will have to continue their streak if they want to remain in the playoff picture.
