When Rajon Rondo went down with a fractured thumb before Game 3 against the Boston Celtics, the Chicago Bulls point guard was pronounced to be out “indefinitely” as a result of the injury. Most folks jumped to the conclusion that Rondo would miss at least the rest of the series against Boston given the severity of the ailment and the stated timetable.
But the veteran former All-Star reportedly wants to beat his projected return date by a considerable amount. In fact, it appears that Rondo wants to play in what could be a pivotal Game 5.
Vertical Sources: Chicago's Rajon Rondo preparing to attempt to play in Game 5 against Boston. Final decision TBD, but there's chance.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 26, 2017
The notion that Rondo would like to play is not a shock but, given that he was originally set to be in a hard cast, it seems a bit wild that he would be allowed to go this quickly. It should be noted that the report from Shams Charania indicates that no decision has been made, but Rondo has been known to play through injuries in the past and the Bulls have been wildly less effective without him on the floor in this series.
Chicago’s desperation for help at the point guard position was outlined by the extended deployment of Isaiah Canaan in Game 4, with Michael Carter-Williams, Jerian Grant and Cameron Payne serving as less than stellar replacements. It will be interesting to follow the timeline until Game 5 tips off on Wednesday in prime time but, for now, we know that Rajon Rondo wants to play and the Bulls just might let him.
