I’m not sure things have gone exactly the way Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge hoped they would this season. And that’s saying something, because the Celtics currently sit in second place in the Atlantic Division.
All indications in the off-season pointed towards a complete rebuild in Boston after the trade of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn. Also the trade of Doc Rivers to the Los Angeles Clippers (Again.. how the hell do you trade a coach?!?). With a young bright head coach in Brad Stevens and an injured Rajon Rondo, it appeared wins would be hard to come by.
But that hasn’t been the case, even without Rajon Rondo. And while Rondo has been medically cleared to return, it appears he is still a way off from returning.
Per Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe:
“It might be mid-January, late February, I’m going to come back when the time is right and I get my stamina,” Rondo said after the Celtics’ 106-79 loss to the Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Sunday.
“My endurance is key for me,” he said. “I don’t want to come back and not be fully 100 percent as far as my health and me being in shape as well, because the worst thing is me coming back and not being in shape and have another injury, so I want to make sure I’m in basketball condition.”