Rajon Rondo says relationship with George Karl isn’t going well
By Tom West
The Sacramento Kings need Rajon Rondo and head coach George Karl to get along, but that hasn’t been happening at all so far.
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Since his four straight All-Star appearances from 2009-2012 and a NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008, Rajon Rondo has had a rather sudden fall from stardom. Just a few years ago he was possibly the most talented and creative passer in the league. With three seasons averaging more than 11 assists per game and leading the league in steals per game in 2009-10 his star was on the rise.
After a disastrous stint with the Dallas Maverick, he’s now joined the Sacramento Kings with a chance to redeem himself. However, despite the fact that the 2015-16 regular season hasn’t even begun, Rondo is already off to a poor start with head coach George Karl.
In an interview with Cowbell Kingdom of the ESPN True Hoop Network, Rondo said very abruptly that his relationship with Karl hasn’t started well.
The mere fact that there was no hesitation from Rondo is a discouraging sign for the Kings and their fans. He answered the question of whether his relationship with Karl has been going well with an instant negative response, stating that “It’s not been going too well. We’ve got into a couple of arguments the last couple of days. Hopefully, we’ll continue to talk and it will get better”.
For a character like Rondo (who’s known for getting into arguments), it isn’t surprising to see him clash with another strong personality like Karl. Although, as we’re still in the midst of the preseason, for there to be problems and arguments so soon is a noteworthy development for the current state of the Kings. Especially as Rondo could become an instrumental player if he connects well with All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins to give the Kings’ offense greater passing flare and creativity.
During his brief career in Sacramento so far, Rondo is actually off to a pretty good start on the court. He’s shooting 52 percent from the floor while averaging 6.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 22 minutes per game. Plus, with a 6-point, 8-rebound, 10-assist performance in just 24 minutes in a 95-92 win against the San Antonio Spurs, Rondo is doing a little bit of everything.
Which, for a player who lacks perimeter shooting, is all the Kings can ask from him right now. More importantly, though, Sacramento have a preseason record of 4-1.
When considering the strength of their roster with the likes of Rondo, Cousins, Rudy Gay, and new additions such as Marco Belinelli, Kosta Koufos and Willie Cauley-Stein, the Kings have more talent and depth than last season. The question at hand is whether they can turn that on-paper talent into more than the 29 wins they recorded last season.
It’s certainly possible, but it will only be made more difficult if Rajon Rondo can’t get along with the head coach.