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Should Dallas Mavericks keep Rick Carlisle or Rajon Rondo?

By Josh Criswell

Mar 22, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Rajon Rondo (left) talks with head coach Rick Carlisle in the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 98-92. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 22, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Rajon Rondo (left) talks with head coach Rick Carlisle in the fourth quarter against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Mavericks 98-92. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Rajon Rondo reportedly will not re-sign with the Dallas Mavericks this offseason if Rick Carlisle is still the head coach. Who should they choose?

Rajon Rondo is the hot topic of the NBA today after reports surfaced that the enigmatic point guard will refuse to play for the Dallas Mavericks next season under current coach Rick Carlisle. Being that Rondo is a free agent this offseason, it is a credible concern.

It is also an easy decision to make. The Rondo experiment in Dallas has been an utter disaster ever since the team traded for him back in December, with over half of a season of controversy culminating in the point guard playing a mere 34 seconds in the second half of another playoff loss at the hands of the Houston Rockets last night.

During the brief 10 minutes that Rondo was on the floor, he looked outmanned, outclassed and, simply, disengaged. Hell, at one point in the game, Rondo got an 8-second violation. With nobody defending him.

When you have an 8-year veteran starting point guard that cannot get up for a playoff game, then you have a serious problem and it has nothing to do with the head coach.

Sure, both Carlisle and Rondo have both won championships. They both also have incredible basketball minds, which is perhaps why the point guard has been prone to clash with his coaches over the years. Rondo is recognized as an extremely smart player, and as a result, has a tendency to disagree with how the game should be run. Although neither will admit it, he surely had an impact on Doc Rivers bolting for the Los Angeles Clippers a few seasons ago.

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The biggest problem is Rondo’s toxic personality, something that is well known in NBA circles. You have to have to have a strong veteran presence in the locker room, besides the coach, if you want to contain the troubled point guard. By strong I mean somebody that can kick his ass, like Kevin Garnett when he was with the Celtics. That is why his personality took years to wear down his teammates and coaches in Boston.

In Dallas, Rondo was never on the right track, and it is clear that Rick Carlisle will not stand for his antics. This was evidenced by his suspension just one month after joining the team, stemming from an event in which teammates reportedly heard Rondo ask Carlisle,  “Why the f— did you bring me here?”

Last night’s catastrophe is further proof that the controversial point guard is not a fit in Dallas, and between the two, Carlisle is an easy choice. He led the franchise to an NBA championship recently, upsetting LeBron James and the Miami Heat back in 2011. Rondo, meanwhile, is nowhere near the elite point guard he used to be, despite brief flashes of his old self.

If Rajon Rondo seriously thinks he can give Mavs owner Mark Cuban an ultimatum like this, he better start packing his bags and get ready for free agency, something that will not be very fun now that he has played himself out of a max contract.

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