- Rajon Rondo has fractured his right shooting thumb and will miss the next six to eight weeks.
- The Los Angeles Lakers will be without the veteran point guard for the first eight placement games of the NBA restart, and possibly the entire first round of the playoffs.
- The Lakers' title odds remain at +200, with no significant change so far.
ORLANDO, Fla. – In one of the first practices since returning to basketball, Rajon Rondo has broken his right thumb.
Rondo suffered a fracture in his shooting hand this weekend during Los Angeles Lakers’ practice in Orlando and will require surgery.
Lakers guard Rajon Rondo has suffered a fractured right thumb, will undergo surgery and is expected to miss 6-to-8 weeks.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 13, 2020
The unfortunate news came in late Sunday night and ripples were felt immediately throughout the league.
Dedicated NBA bettors took to the sportsbooks to find that the Lakers’ title odds had not seen any notable movement since the news.
The Lakers are still the favorites at online sportsbooks to win the title at +200, where they have largely remained since the pause of the season.
2020 NBA Championship Winner
- Los Angeles Lakers +200
- Milwaukee Bucks +280
- Los Angeles Clippers +300
- Boston Celtics +1300
- Houston Rockets +1300
- Toronto Raptors +1600
- Philadelphia 76ers +2000
- Denver Nuggets +3000
- Dallas Mavericks +4000
- Miami Heat +4000
- Utah Jazz +6600
- New Orleans Pelicans +8000
- Oklahoma City Thunder +8000
- Portland Trail Blazers +8000
Who’s Next?
With Lakers' backcourt mate Avery Bradley electing to not play during the restart, speculation has begun on who will step up at guard.
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Feel bad for Rondo and wish him a speedy recovery but Dion Waiters, Quin Cook and Alex Caruso will step up for the Lakers! Just saying...
— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) July 13, 2020
While LeBron James will likely pick up the slack as the primary ball-handler in Rondo’s absence, the need for another elite facilitator is now glaring in the Laker’s rotation.
The current remaining options at guard for the Lakers are Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Danny Green, Alex Caruso, Quinn Cook, Dion Waiters, and newly-signed JR Smith.
Out of that group, only Cook is listed as a true point guard, with the rest preferring a catch-and-shoot or more combo guard role.
Many are expecting this could lead to the emergence of Alex Caruso, who has performed well in his role with LA, despite his meme status amongst the NBA community.
While LeBron has relied on elite guard play in the past with Dwayne Wade and Kyrie Irving, he will be forced to use veterans like Green and Smith to space the floor, while hoping for consistency out of someone like Caruso or Caldwell-Pope.
Expect to see LeBron bringing the ball up the court in the Lakers’ most crucial minutes once the NBA returns.
Jimmy Reinman honed his skills across various mediums including print, radio, and broadcast before bringing his arsenal of knowledge to the team here at USAOnlineSportsbooks in 2020. When he’s not writing, you can find him in a state of focused stress on any College Football Saturday, or maniacally constructing NBA parlays on a cool spring evening.
