Rondo discovers his long-lost shooting touch
Rajon Rondo came to the Dallas Mavericks with a reputation as a poor shooter.
That sure has changed in the five games since the mercurial point guard joined the Mavs in a Dec. 18 blockbuster trade with the Boston Celtics.
Since coming to Dallas, Rondo is shooting 44.4 percent from the field (32-of-72) and has made 4 of 7 shots from 3-point range. In 22 games for the Celtics this season, the eight-year veteran shot just 40.5 percent from the field and 25 percent from 3-point range.
Unlike with the Celtics, Rondo is stepping into his shot with supreme confidence. He has attempted 17 shots in each of the past two games (34 total) while making 17.
“I don’t really care what the number is,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He just needs to play the game and take the shots that are there.
“He’s shooting the ball better every day, and he’s going to make more and more as the season goes on. He needs to be aggressive to look for open shots — it’s hard to get open shots in an NBA game.”
Because Rondo is known as a pass-first point guard, opponents tend to leave him open on the perimeter. Carlisle would like Rondo to take advantage of those opportunities.
“If teams are going under pick-and-rolls or sagging off you, you’ve got to be ready to step into them and you’ve got to get used to it,” Carlisle said. “That’s been our message to him, and he’s been great.
“He’s been aggressive and he’s working at it.”
The work is apparent in Rondo’s improvement on 3-pointers.
“It speaks to the fact that he’s capable, and when there are good ones there, we need him to step into them,” Carlisle said. “It’s such a potent weapon offensively that if you don’t do it, you’re going to compromise spacing and you’re going to compromise the moment in an offensive set.”
Uneventful return
No big fanfare occurred Sunday against Oklahoma City when Raymond Felton finally played his first game of the season for the Mavs.
Felton had been sidelined since suffering a high right ankle sprain in the preseason. But after working feverishly to get back on the court, the nine-year veteran played one minute and 13 uneventful seconds during the 112-107 victory.
“He’s worked to the point where I feel he’s healthy enough to be active,” Carlisle said. “He’s demonstrated that he’s a great teammate to the other guys on the team ahead of him that are playing.
“This guy has just been working and encouraging other guys from Day One. He’s been hurt the majority of the time, so from a character standpoint he’s right up there with anybody on our team that way.”
Acquired in a June 25 trade with the New York Knicks, Felton joins a group of point guards that includes Rajon Rondo, Devin Harris and J.J. Barea. But Carlisle is convinced that although the odds may be stacked against Felton receiving substantial playing time soon, the Mavs will need him down the line.
“I said all along we’re going to need him at some point,” Carlisle said. “He was working hard, and he’s working even harder now.
“I wouldn’t hesitate to put him in if we need him.”
Dwain Price, 817-390-7760
Twitter: @dwainprice
This story was originally published December 30, 2014 at 10:50 PM with the headline "Rondo discovers his long-lost shooting touch."