NBA Playoffs 2017: 5 keys to Celtics vs. Bulls matchup

2. Rajon Rondo makes his return to the Garden

Rajon Rondo has had a weird season. That’s probably the best word to describe it. He has been in and out of the starting lineup, including being benched for a good portion of the season. And finally, the weirdest of all, he has started to hit wide open 3-pointers. Weird.

The reason Rondo is a key is because when the pressure is on, he overperforms.

Wait. Before you close your tab and leave me, hear me out. Rondo has always been tough in the playoffs. Granted, it has been a little bit since he has been old playoff Rondo and he is probably a different player, but that passion doesn’t just go away.

During the 2011 playoffs, Rondo hurt his hand and had to leave the game. It didn’t look like he would return, but low and behold he was back on the court before the game was over. He was still being the defensive pest that he was known for, poking the ball away and running down the court like nothing was wrong.

I don’t know what happened to this Rondo, maybe he left that version of himself in Boston. It’s time for Rondo to find his old self, the one that would hustle and give 110 percent effort all the time. The Bulls need old Rondo.