Rajon Rondo to Miss at Least Three Games

Rajon Rondo didn’t last very long in the Dallas Mavericks’ 108-93 victory of the Orlando Magic. Less than two minutes into the game Rondo slipped, then took a knee to the face from teammate Richard Jefferson as he ran back on defense.

If you missed it, heres the video:

He didn’t return to the game, and now, according to ESPN, the blow will sideline him for at least three games as he recovers from an orbital fracture in his left eye, and a nasal fracture.

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It’s an unfortunate turn of events for fans, as the Timberwolves will be getting star point guard Ricky Rubio back from a 42-game absence Monday, and the matchup of two of the league’s best passers would have been a treat.

The Mavericks should have no trouble with the 8-39 Timberwolves, even without Rondo, but after that things get a little tougher.

Dallas plays the Warriors on Wednesday, the Trailblazers on Saturday, and the Clippers on Monday. They’ll miss Rondo’s defensive presence against Steph Curry, Damian Lillard, and Chris Paul.

But will the offense perform better with Rondo in street clothes? It’s possible, and it’ll be interesting to see how things play out. The spacing and ball movement that helped Dallas explode offensively onto the scene has suffered with Rondo at the helm.

The team’s offensive rating has dropped from 116.8 pre-Rondo, to 108.3.

While better in Dallas than in Boston, Rondo still has the tendency to over-dribble, and when he’s off the ball his lack of outside shooting allows his man to sag way into the middle of the floor disrupting the offense.

On Saturday against the Magic the offense looked crisp, with good spacing and even better ball movement. The Mavericks had six players score in double figures, led by Monta Ellis with 25. Ellis also had a season-high 13 assists as he took on more of a facilitator role.

They got great looks from all over the field, shooting 56% for the game and racking up 26 assists. But it was against the Magic. Will that type of offensive production hold up against the better teams of the west without Rondo? And will be the defense take as big of a hit as some think?

The next stretch of games is daunting, but we’ll get a good look at how valuable Rondo is to the Mavericks.

Next: Game Grades for Win in Miami

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