Expectations For Rajon Rondo With The Sacramento Kings This Season

Rafe Wong

Mar 10, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Rajon Rondo (9) during the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

People within the Sacramento Kings organization expect to make the playoffs this season, and how Rajon Rondo plays is a key factor in whether they achieve that goal or not.

Offensive Expectations

On the offensive end, I expect him to be that second coach on the floor. Making sure his teammates are where they’re supposed to be, and creating plays for others and himself to score. I also expect Rondo to be given the freedom to make his own calls on the court.

Recently, Kings head coach George Karl spoke to the media on how he was open to the idea of giving Rondo freedom in terms of play calling, which in my opinion is when Rondo is at his best and happiest (click here for interview).

Rondo brings playmaking ability that the Kings have been searching for, but he also is a shooting liabiltity. Throughout his career, Rondo has been known as a poor perimeter shooter, which could potentially hurt the Kings offense at times (depending on who else is on the court). Last season in field goal percentage/three-point percentage/free throw percentage, Rondo went 42.6/31.4/39.7. So based on his latest numbers, as well as his overall career, fans can expect Rondo to have his struggles shooting the ball this season.

Although Rondo won’t help improve the team’s shooting, he was signed to the team to improve their struggle of moving the ball. Last season the ball movement was abysmal for the Kings. The Kings were ranked 26th out of 30 teams in assists per contest (20.3), and were also 26th in assist percentage (55.4%). If all goes right, Rondo will be able to put the lack of ball movement problem to bed, which is arguably the biggest achilles heel for the franchise’s offense in recent history.

Next: Defensive Expectations

Mar 24, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Rajon Rondo (9) guards San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Spurs 101-94. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Defensive Expectations

Defensively, I expect Rondo to at least be sufficient. Although being named an All-Team defender in the past, the torn ACL that he suffered in 2013 has limited him from being able to stick with opponents and record steals at a high rate. But even with his knee not being 100%, he still should be at least adequate. His athelticism has dropped, but he still has a high IQ of the game to make up for it.

Rondo also right now is on a one-year contract with Sacramento, in hopes of earning a long-term contract next offseason. This is probably the last chance for him to get his ideal contract, and for him to achieve that he has to produce on both sides of the court. Considering his scenario, I think he will be more motivated to becoming a better two-way player compared to previous seasons.

Next: Leadership Expectations

Apr 2, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle and guard Rajon Rondo (9) during the game against the Houston Rockets at the American Airlines Center. The Rockets defeated the Mavericks 108-101. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Leadership Expectations

The expectations of Rondo being a good leader are questionable. Based on his track record, Rondo has consistently been temperamental with his teammates and coaches, so why would it stop now? I think Kings fans are already expecting that he is going to have his conflicts with Coach Karl and his teammates.

The fact is that Rondo is going to have his mood swings throughout this season. It’s a risk the Kings are willing to take in exchange for his talents. So hopefully Rondo, as well as the rest of the team, are able to endure the many confrontations (with or without Rondo) that the Kings will likely have this season. (Remember Cousins and Karl still have beef to settle.)

Next: Final Thoughts

Mar 18, 2015; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Rajon Rondo (9) looses the ball in the fourth quarter against Orlando Magic guard Victor Oladipo (5) at American Airlines Center. The Mavs beat the Magic 107-102. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Final Thoughts

To start training camp I think Rondo should be behind Darren Collison (who had a great previous year) for the starting point guard spot, but eventually I expect Rondo to surpass him. The Kings already have DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay (proven scorers) in the lineup already, so it would work best if the Kings used a point guard like Rondo to increase ball movement rather than score.

On offense, expect his shooting woes to continue. On the brighter side, foresee him being a playmaker on the court that calls the plays and pushes his teammates to execute properly.

On defense, I don’t expect anything special out of Rondo, but I do think he will at least be solid. Despite his athleticism dipping, his defensive IQ is still legit and his new-found motivation to earn a new contract after this season is definitely a factor as well.

In terms of attitude, expect mood swings. He will be a good teammate at times, but he will also have his share of troubled moments with the team as well.

Overall, the organization will have to endure a lot headaches this season, but I do think signing Rondo will be beneficial for the Kings because his skill set, knowledge, and experience of the game will improve serious struggles (ball movement, IQ, execution) that the Kings have had in previous seasons. When looking at the whole picture, I see more pros than cons in the newly acquired point guard.

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Rafe Wong

Editor for "A Royal Pain". Born and raised in the Sacramento area and have been a bandwagon Kings fan since 2006. Forever #SacramentoProud, sometimes #KingsProud