ANAHEIM – At various points throughout Saturday night’s game at Honda Center, TV cameras captured Rajon Rondo playing stylist.
Along the bench, Rondo playfully smoothed out the creases in the suits of the Laker coaches. Even on one play, as he chased a ball out of bounds, he found himself face-to-face with his former coach Doc Rivers, and gave him a few pats.
The Lakers point guard has a way of smoothing out other parts of coaching as well. His exhaustive film study, Rivers said, helps him hold others accountable – something he did often when Rivers coached him on the Celtics.
“We laugh, [Minnesota coach Tom] Thibodeau and I went to dinner and we were telling Rondo stories about how many times have you made a mistake in shootaround and you knew right when it came out of your mouth, you can count to 3-2,” he said. “Rondo was correcting you because he actually knew exactly what the other team’s plays were – there’s no doubt about that.”
As a Laker, Rondo has had that influence so far in preseason: Even when he sat on Thursday’s game against the Sacramento Kings, coach Luke Walton said he was the loudest player on the bench.
In the first half of Saturday’s loss to the Clippers, Rondo managed an even-handed effort without the support of LeBron James. When the Lakers were just behind 51-50 at halftime, Rondo already had eight assists without taking a shot. While that might be a sign for some players to look for his own shot more, Walton said he’s already built trust with Rondo to make the right call.
“He knows how to manage a game,” Walton said. “He’s been one of the best point guards in our game for years. And one of the smartest. So he knows what he’s doing.”
So far in the preseason, Rondo is averaging the second-most assists per game (9.3) in under 24 minutes per contest. It begs the question of what happens exactly when Lonzo Ball gets healthy (he’s expected to return Wednesday), and how Walton will choose to pick starters.
When asked if he’s excited for Ball’s return, Rondo said, “Sure.” But for now, his focus seems to be building chemistry with the teammates who have been on the floor.
He tried finding JaVale McGee, for example, several times on lobs – and didn’t always connect. But in his fashion, he’s been putting a lot of effort into smoothing out the wrinkles.
“We talk every possession, whether we make the lob or miss it, I try to get a feel for my bigs, where he likes the ball, if he likes bounce passes,” Rondo said. “Obviously he likes it up top. It’s going to take time. We haven’t figured it out yet. It’s a process, that is what I am going to continue to try to work on and take it one day at a time.”
Zubac bounces back from illness
Everything about Ivica Zubac’s offseason gave him a good feeling that this could be his breakout year. Everything until an international flight last month.
Zubac was returning from playing with the Croatian national team when he caught a mysterious bug that made him feverish. It happened at one of the worst possible times: Right as Lakers training camp was starting.
“Basically like first day of training camp, I don’t know how I got through it because we had a two-a-day,” he said. “It was tough, I had no energy or anything. … I would run up and down and I would be done. I didn’t have no air.”
Zubac still has a cough, but he’s rounding into shape: With eight points and six rebounds against the Clippers, he enjoyed his most confident performance yet as he seeks to cement himself in the rotation as a backup center. Walton said his most important role may be as a shot-blocker — defensive stops can get the Lakers’ transition game rolling.
That included for Zubac a few dishes for easy dunks on Saturday night – it looked like his teammates wanted to reward him for his efforts to get back into playing shape.
“Maybe the players on the court did, I don’t know,” Walton said. “He had some good looks and I know the guys are, they like playing with him so they’re probably trying to get him going.”
Beasley finding a comfort zone
Without James, it was an opportunity for a player who has taken some time to fit in: Michael Beasley. He played his most minutes (19), took his most shots (7) scored his most points (8) and had the mosts assists (3) he’s had in this preseason. While the Clippers won convincingly, the Lakers outscored them by a point when Beasley was on the floor.
“Our guys are starting to learn me, learn how I play,” he said. “Starting to ask more of me, more responsibilities. It’s just getting acquainted and taking it a day at a time.”
Walton also thought Beasley had his best game so far as a Laker, including back-to-back assists to Josh Hart and Zubac in the first half. The Lakers want him to find a groove as a scorer and an occasional passer as he continues to blend into the group.