Rajon Rondo is expected to make his LA Clippers debut against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, according to coach Ty Lue.
The Clippers acquired Rondo from Atlanta in a deal involving Lou Williams on the March 25 deadline.
Both teams do not have important players. The Lakers are without LeBron James and Anthony Davis due to injuries. And Lue did not think that the owner Patrick Beverley (knee) would be able to return and join Rondo on the ground. Beverley has lost the last 11 games due to injury. Pivot Serge Ibaka has also been out for 10 games due to a back injury.
Rondo won a championship last season with the Lakers and will now participate in the Los Angeles rivalry on the other side with the Clippers.
“It’s different,” Rondo said of playing for the Clippers in the rivalry recently in an interview with Rachel Nichols of ESPN. “It’s a rivalry here in Los Angeles. But for the most part, I’ve been getting a lot of ‘welcome back’. It’s different to be back in LA as a champion.”
Impaired by an adductor injury, Rondo has been consistently working to learn the Clippers manual while resting.
“Just plugging it in, just seeing what it captures,” said Lue of what he hopes to see from Rondo. “It’s easy to make the moves in practice, but then you have a game right away, it’s a little bit different. And I know how smart he is. Just by seeing what he picks up and what we can incorporate while he’s in the game and try go from there. It will be nice to see you fall to the ground. “