Already down Avery Bradley, who opted out of the NBA restart, the Los Angeles Lakers additionally lost Rajon Rondo at least until some point in the first round of the playoffs. Rondo sustained a fractured right thumb in practice that required surgery.
His initial timetable, set from July 16, was pegged at six to eight weeks. Losing Rondo placed further strain on Lakers head coach Frank Vogel with respect to rotations and replacements at the guard positions.
Rondo’s on-court play has been hit or miss this season to say the least, but he is viewed as one of the leaders of this Lakers team.