While he wasn't in front of the cameras or the center of attention too often, Rajon Rondo played his part in helping develop the Milwaukee Bucks' guards last season. His presence behind closed doors was incredibly valuable, but another team has seemingly caught on and may look to poach him from Milwaukee to get him on their side: New Orleans.
Per NBA insiders Marc Stein and Jake Fischer (subscription required), the Pelicans have interviewed Rondo for their head coaching vacancy. He's not the only Buck they have eyes on, as Darvin Ham is also someone they are reportedly eyeing. Ham's contributions to the Bucks are well-documented, but losing Rondo would quietly hurt this team and the growth of its point guards.
Rondo helped elevate Bucks guards
Kevin Porter Jr. and Ryan Rollins played arguably the best basketball of their careers this season, and while Rondo wasn't the driving factor, he certainly played a part. Rollins talked about how the former All-Star guard helped him this past season in an interview with HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. Rollins heaped praise on Milwaukee's special when asked about playing under Doc Rivers.
"I’ve learned from Doc, and Rajon Rondo is around a lot, too. I’ve been learning the game from their perspectives, talking through the game with them, and learning. I think that’s been the biggest thing, along with getting these reps and experience."
The numbers back it up. Rollins broke out this season, averaging 17.3 points, 5.6 assists, 4.6 boards, and 1.5 steals per contest. Plenty of people thought he should have been the Most Improved Player. Porter, meanwhile, battled the injury bug but made the most of his minutes when healthy by putting up 17.4 points, 7.4 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals per game, several new career bests.
Working with an All-Star and multi-time NBA Champion every single day likely helped each player focus on and develop new parts of their games. For instance, Rondo was always known as one of the best passers and peskiest guards in the game. Both Rollins and Porter averaged new career bests in assists and steals. That's not too shocking.
Now, the Pelicans may look to steal Milwaukee's assistant to bring some of his strengths to NOLA.
Bucks should certainly aim to keep Rondo
If the Pelicans decide to hire Rondo to be their head coach, great. It would be a full-circle moment for the former New Orleans point guard to get his first coaching gig there. Yet, if the Pelicans proceed in a different direction and choose someone else, the Milwaukee Bucks should welcome Rondo back with open arms.
With Rollins under contract, Porter set to ponder a player option but very attainable, and the Bucks able to add a point guard in this upcoming draft class, keeping Rondo would make plenty of sense. This point guard room is still young and could continue to grow with a player like Rondo offering his hard-earned guidance every single night.
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