Defense and Rebounding Will Still Decide Mavericks Fate

So you’ve heard, Rajon Rondo is a Dallas Maverick, and that’s just AWESOME.

Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder and Jameer Nelson are new members of the Boston Celtics.

27 games into the season, the rebuilt Mavs have the league’s leading offense at a ridiculous clip of 110.1 PPG. Now with Rondo in the mix, they have brought aboard the league’s leading assist man at 10.8 APG.

That was passing to the likes of Kelly Olynyk, Evan Turner, Avery Bradley and Jeff Green.

Now he’ll be dishing to Tyson Chandler, Chandler Parsons, Monta Ellis but most importantly Dirk Nowitzki.

The last time Rondo was on a team this good, the Celtics won championship in 2008.

19-8 and currently 6th in the potent Western Conference, Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson still saw the Mavericks as a team built to contend but not built to contend for the ultimate prize of an NBA Championship. That is the goal, as it always is despite the circumstances surrounding the team’s “mini-rebuild” from fall 2011 to 2014.

Rajon Rondo has been on the trade block for a couple seasons, and when he wasn’t traded this past offseason, it seemed he would be dealt midseason before he enters free agency. We haven’t even hit Christmas Eve and the Dallas Mavericks emerged in a matter of days to steal Rondo from Boston.

For all that the incredible things the four-time all star has accomplished, as well as an All-NBA teamer and four-time All-NBA Defensive team, his weakness has always been his jump shot, but what isn’t an issue is…well, every single other thing Rajon Rondo brings to the table.

Even with the hot start on offense, the Mavericks have had serious troubles on the glass sans Tyson Chandler, even worse problems defending the basketball sans Tyson Chandler, and Rajon Rondo in his prime –something that isn’t over despite a bunch of foolish internet ranting– is a great, great defender and the best rebounding point guard in basketball.

The Mavs paid a price, not a huge price by any stretch which is another topic entirely, but whatever Rajon Rondo brings to this Dallas Mavericks team in 2014-15 and hopefully beyond, it will be defensively and on the glass where we need him the most and where he can elevate this team to certain championship contenders.

Dallas will unveil Rajon Rondo Saturday at home against their arch rival San Antonio Spurs. How do you like that?

Also from today’s press conference.

Dwain Price: What part about the defensive side of the game turns you on?

*Laughs across a table of Rondo, Dwight Powell, Rick Carlisle, Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson*

To paraphrase, Rajon Rondo said “the dirty part.”

The Mavericks needed a lot more nasty out of the point guard position. They’ve got it now.

"I’m dying to get a ring again."