LA Clippers guard Rajon Rondo (4) tries to dribble the ball past Dallas Mavericks forward Tim Hardaway Jr. (11) during the fourth quarter of Game 1. Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Rajon Rondo posing unique problem for Mavericks

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 5/27/21

It’s been six years since Rajon Rondo’s tumultuous tenure with the Dallas Mavericks, but apparently even after all this time it’s paying some dividends for Rondo.

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle admitted that the Mavericks are running fewer plays on offense in part because Rondo still remembers a bunch of them and has been calling them out to his Los Angeles Clippers teammates.

Carlisle says Rajon Rondo has been calling out Mavs plays during the series, "That's one of the reasons we're trying not to run many plays." Rondo of course briefly was a Mavs. Only time in his career he wasn't Playoff Rondo.

— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) May 27, 2021

The irony of this is that Rondo, who frequently clashed with Carlisle and was essentially benched during his lone playoff run with Dallas, did little to help the team’s offense. He never quite fit the system, but evidently he picked things up enough to know it even now.

Rondo’s knowledge hasn’t done a ton to help the Clippers. The team finds itself in a 2-0 hole after a pair of home losses. The Clippers probably wish Rondo had some insider knowledge on how to slow down Luka Doncic, because even this change didn’t help much in Game 2.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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