The Boston Celtics face an uphill battle in an improved Atlantic Division and with their two biggest stars and leaders missing after Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were traded to Brooklyn. But titular point guard Rajon Rondo is still around, so that’s why it’s important he gets healthy.
In January, Rajon tore the ACL in his right knee and had surgery to repair it the following month. But the window for his return is wide-open, especially with all the offseason roster turnover.
Rondo spoke with Baxter Holmes of the Boston Globe [subscription only], and said he’s not sure when he’ll return to action.
“Whenever I’m able to jump off my right leg and probably dunk, that’s when I think I’ll be back to play,” Rondo said.
But Rondo was clear that he’d like to return sooner, rather than later; there has been speculation that he might not return to the court until December, with Boston’s brass leery of rushing him and OK with the fact they could lose a ton of games in his absence with the historic 2014 Draft on the horizon.
“If they want me to ease into it — it’s going to be hard to tell me to ease into something,” [Rondo] said. “Once I get back out there, I want to go full speed. I don’t want any limitation. That’s when I’ll return, when I’m able to do that.
“I’ll know when it’s right,” he said. “Everybody is different, each injury is different . . . For me, when I come back, I won’t come back unless I know I’m myself again.”
Though Rondo is still not allowed to do any contact drills, he was recently fitted for his first knee brace, and said, “I don’t think contact will be too far from now. I’m just waiting to get cleared by my doctor.”
He also told Holmes his right leg is at about 87 percent, “Give or take, depending on how my day goes.”
While it’s not inconceivable that Rondo returns some time in November, with the Celtics in the throes of change, they may want to sit him out longer than necessary to make sure he’s all the way back and to increase the odds for more ping pong balls in June’s draft. We doubt the hyper-competitive Rondo will be happy if GM Danny Ainge and management keep him out of action any longer than needed, so all eyes in Boston will be on his recuperation as the regular season begins.
When do you think Rondo will return?
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