In LeBron James’ second season with the Los Angeles Lakers, Anthony Davis came into town via trade. Then general manager Rob Pelinka surrounded the two stars with experienced veterans in hopes of making a championship run.
The 2019-20 season proved to be one of the most challenging seasons in NBA history with the passing of late, great Kobe Bryant and the worldwide coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shutting down the season. Thankfully, things continued down in the Orlando bubble, which resulted in a championship for L.A.
That veteran experience paid off in the end, specifically with Rajon Rondo, one of the highest thinking basketball minds ever. He meshed well with both James and Davis, but also his IQ is what made him special. James names Rondo as a player with high-level basketball IQ on the first episode of his podcast Mind the Game with JJ Redick and wonders why he isn’t coaching in the NBA:
“Rajon Rondo, for sure. He can process flip, do things on the go, like [that]. It’s very weird to me that he’s not coaching at a high level. I think it’s because he doesn’t want to do it. It is a lot, it is a lot and who wants to deal with all these rich entitled guys all the time? It’s just a weird thing, man, it’s just a weird thing.”
Davis recently shared a similar sentiment as James, questioning why Rondo is not currently an NBA head coach.
When players retire, coaching is the next step for many and it makes sense for a guy like Rondo who has such a high IQ. Whether it be a head coach or assistant, Rondo could easily connect with players on a higher level and share tons of valuable information through his 16 seasons in the league.
After winning two championships with the Boston Celtics and the Lakers, providing that championship knowledge to teams would be extremely useful. But as time passes, perhaps Rondo dabbles into the coaching field considering he is already gaining the support of Davis and James.
Anthony Davis & D’Angelo Russell noticing LeBron James locked in for final stretch
James is also up there as one of the greatest basketball minds ever due to all of his experiences through 21 seasons. When it comes close to playoff time, the four-time champion knows when he has to turn his game up a notch to secure playoff seeding and get ready for postseason play.
That is already being shown, like on Monday against the Atlanta Hawks, dropping an efficient 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds. Davis and D’Angelo Russell speak to noticing that shift as the Lakers prepare for potentially another Play-In Tournament appearance.
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