Boston Celtics’s Rajon Rondo’s 2013 NBA season ended after he partially tore his ACL. The point guard has been going through treatment since then, and was recently fitted for his first knee brace. Though he is hopeful, Rondo remains cautious about returning to physical play.
“I don’t think contact will be too far from there.” Rondo told ESPN.
“I hope I can play against the Raptors [on opening night next week], but that’s not likely. I’m taking it one week at a time. I know it’s getting stronger each week and whenever I’m able to jump off my right leg and probably dunk, that’s when I think I’ll be back to play.”
Rondo made it clear that until he is ready he will not return.
“I’ll know when it’s right,” he said. “Everybody is different, each injury is different… For me, when I come back, I won’t come back unless I know I’m myself again.”
Rondo was asked about Gerald Wallace’s comments questioning the team’s effort.
“Everybody has their opinion,” said Rondo. “I don’t think Gerald is wrong to speak his opinion or speak his mind. I think a lot of what he was talking about is that you gotta play for one another. And maybe nights that you don’t have your game going, offensively, you still have to get down and communicate on defense, help the next man and just play hard for the next guy. It may not be your night, and some nights it is going to be your night. But at the end of the day it’s all about the name on the front of the jersey… All that matters is the wins and losses, not your individual stats. If we can continue to think like that, we’ll be fine.”
Rondo also talked about new head coach Brad Stevens and the team’s offensive approach.
“Brad is not really strict, he lets you go out there and play the game,” he said. “He just wants you to play each possession extremely hard. I think that’s the way I approach the game and, offensively, he designed an offense that we can pretty much flow into things as far as pick-and-rolls, getting the ball into the post… that’s just how he coaches the game. I’m just trying to get back in, go out there, and do what I do best: Lot of pick-and-rolls, get into the paint, make my teammates better, make their jobs a lot easier when I come back.”
