Is Rajon Rondo’s Broken Hand A Bad Thing?

Feb 19, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Boston Celtics guard

(9) against the Phoenix Suns at US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Celtics 100-94. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Yesterday, it was reported that Boston Celtics point guard and captain Rajon Rondo broke his hand slipping in his shower.

The injury will cause Rondo to miss six-to-eight weeks and as a result, the start of the regular season. Whether or not that is actually how Rajon injured himself is one story, but either way, people are calling this injury a “setback” to Rondo’s return from his injury last season.

I simply can’t agree with that. Boston isn’t playing for much this season, in fact, they are going to be showcasing most of their players to evaluate their value to the club either as a member of the squad or a trade asset.  Rondo’s value isn’t going to be hurt by this injury because the league knows what he can do, and this isn’t a Derrick Rose-situation where he keeps injuring the most important parts of his body over and over.

Sure, as a fan I would love to watch Rondo do his thing on the court with some of this young talent, but you’re kidding yourself if you think this is the same group of guys that either Rondo will be playing with in two years, whether it’s on the Celtics or not.

This also allows rookie guards Marcus Smart and James Young to shoulder more of the load early on, and then if they aren’t handling it well, move Rondo back into that leadership role. A lot of questions about Smart’s maturity arose after his incident last year while playing against Texas Tech and this is a great opportunity to help lead this team on and off the court. While guys like Gerald Wallace, Jeff Green, and others will be responsible for providing that veteran presence, Smart can go a long way by proving that he has what it takes to be a floor-general type of player.

Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens will get to see a lot of different personnel groupings on the floor with Rondo out of action. This period should give them an idea of who can really succeed at the NBA level, and that includes second -or third-year players like Jared Sullinger and Kelly Olynyk.

Really, the biggest loser here is Avery Bradley. Bradley struggles to handle the ball and plays exceedingly better with Rondo on the floor. Perhaps Smart will be able to help him out by driving and kicking, but that may be much to ask for someone trying to find their role in the NBA. Frankly, I hope it shows why the club shouldn’t have given Bradley the contract he signed this offseason.

But for now, Evan Turner will help Smart and Phil Pressey with some of the ball-handling duties until the captain returns to action. While this broken hand does rob of us of some potentially great Rondo moments, it isn’t a bad thing when thinking about the long-term future (and that is their only future) of these Boston Celtics.