The Pelicans’ Jrue Holiday and Rajon Rondo backcourt experiment will be put on hold for a while.
Rajon Rondo has a sports hernia, New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters before tipoff of a New Orleans preseason game on Sunday (one where Anthony Davis dropped 37 on the Bulls). Because Rondo will see a specialist Monday, the coach refused to put a timetable on Rondo’s return, but Mike Helfgot of the New Orleans Advocate got some idea of one.Gentry said a timetable for Rondo’s return should become more clear when he sees a specialist in Philadelphia on Monday, though sources familiar with the situation said the initial expectation is Rondo will be out for approximately four weeks.
“I’m not a medical doctor,” Gentry said. “We’ll see what happens after he sees a specialist.”
Jrue Holiday, who had been playing the two with Rondo on the court, slid back over to the point and was joined by E’Twaun Moore in the starting rotation — a backcourt that provides much better shooting, something the Pelicans need to space the floor around Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. Rondo’s injury likely means more run for Ian Clark, which would not be a bad thing for New Orleans.
Gentry praised Rondo for something the young players in Chicago loved him for last season — leadership. Rondo has taken to the mentor role with young players, a quality a lot of teams could use. However, the Pelicans are in a win-now place — or there likely will be major coaching/front office shakeups, with roster shakeups to follow — and more shooting in the starting lineup will not be a bad thing.