Rajon Rondo is expected to make his LA Clippers debut against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday according to head coach Ty Lue.
The Clippers acquired Rondo from Atlanta in a trade involving Lou Williams at the trade deadline on March 25.
Both teams are without key players. The Lakers are without LeBron James and Anthony Davis due to injuries. And Lue did not think that point guard Patrick Beverley (knee) would be able to return and join Rondo on the floor. Beverley has missed the last 11 games due to injury. Starting center Serge Ibaka also has been out for the past 10 games with a back injury.
Rondo won a championship last season with the Lakers and will now take part in the Los Angeles rivalry on the other side with the Clippers.
“It’s different,” Rondo told ESPN’s Rachel Nichols in a recent interview of playing in the rivalry for the Clippers. “It is a rivalry here in Los Angeles. But for the most part, I have been getting a bunch of welcome back’s. It is different coming back to LA being a champion.”
Hampered by an adductor injury, Rondo has been consistently working to learn the Clippers’ playbook while he rested.
“Just kind of plugging him in, just seeing what he picks up,” Lue said of what he hopes to see from Rondo. “It’s easy to go through plays in practice but then you got a game on the fly it is a little different. And I know how smart he is. Just seeing what he picks up and just seeing what we can incorporate while he is in the game and just try to go from there. It is going to be good to see him get on the floor.”