A mere eight seconds into Rajon Rondo’s official debut as a New Orleans Pelican on Monday, the point guard caught a pass from former and current teammate DeMarcus Cousins and dropped in a layup. Only 23 seconds after that, the pair reversed roles, with Rondo finding Cousins for a three-point basket, which was assist No. 6,076 of Rondo’s NBA career.
The 31-year-old hadn’t played since an Oct. 6 preseason game at Oklahoma City, but in his brief five-minute cameo vs. Atlanta, he made a rapid impact. The Pelicans believe it’s a sign of things to come for a savvy, 12-year veteran and four-time All-Star who was projected to be the team’s starting floor general before a core muscle injury sidelined him.