Rajon Rondo Debuts For Dallas As Mavericks Beat Spurs 99-93

Newly acquired point guard Rajon Rondo, who the Dallas Mavericks acquired Thursday in a deal that sent Brandan Wright and Jameer Nelson to the Boston Celtics, scored six points shooting 3-for-11 with nine assists and seven rebounds in 34 minutes. Saturday night marked his first start for the Mavs, a game where Dallas would outlast a road weary San Antonio Spurs team to pick up the win, 99-93.

Bleacher Report’s Jim Cavan reports, per MavsOutsider columnist Bryan Gutierrez, that coach Randy Carlisle was pleased with what he saw in the newly acquired Rondo.

“I love Rondo. I thought he played well.”

By all accounts, Rondo looked comfortable in his new role. It didn’t take long for Rondo to earn the trust of Maverick’s captain, Dirk Nowitzki, according to USA Today.

“I actually think that he knows the plays better than some of our own guys.”

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban pulled the trigger for Rondo in a deal that also sent draft picks for the next two years to Boston, as his team was in the midst of a five-game skid prior to which the likely championship contending Mavs were 19-3. Now 20-8, Cuban hopes the addition of Rondo will round out his starting five with Nowitzki, Chandler Parsons, Tyson Chandler, and Monta Ellis, and drive the team towards their second title in five years.

According to Eddie Sefko of the Dallas Morning News, Cuban is also hoping that, following years of losing out on key players and rebuilding during what is likely the twilight of 36-year-old Nowitzki’s career, that he can re-sign Rondo and Ellis, both of whom are free agents at the end of this year. Tyson Chandler shares that hope.

“I don’t know what the thoughts are of the organization…but it could be a special unit. Rondo, I know he has a lot of great years in him. Parsons is young, a player that they brought in this year. And I know I got a lot of great years left in me. And my boy Dirty, I want to ride with him until the wheels fall off. I know Monta is coming up, but it’s a bright future. It just all depends on what happens. It’s a lot of free agents, so we’ll see.”

For Rondo, the relief of parting with a Celtics team where rumor has persisted for several seasons of dissension between him and various coaches as well as constant trade rumor was made all that much sweeter with the Dallas victory.

“It was exciting. Best part was we got the win.”