Retired NBA journeyman Ryan Hollins has come out with a pretty bold claim saying that Los Angeles Lakers point guard Rajon Rondo is going to have a better year than Oklahoma City Thunder's Chris Paul.
Not only that, but Hollins went on to say that in his mind, Rondo is the better player — a statement that left co-host Max Kellerman laughing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9iG-wRzmLA
Hollins' main argument here roots from his suspicion that Paul is not going to be entering the season a hundred percent healthy. Even so, it's still hard to imagine how a 33-year-old Rondo is going to outplay Paul next season, especially considering how it's looking more and more likely the latter will be starting the season as New Orleans' lone superstar.
Rondo and Paul are two of the best playmakers this league has ever seen. In their prime, they were arguably two of the Top 5 point guards in the league. However, with both players now in the twilight of their careers, it's easy to see who has fallen further behind at this point.
Last season, Paul averaged 15.6 points, 2.2 three-pointers, 4.6 rebounds, 8.2 assists, and 2.o steals in 32.0 minutes per contest. These are significantly better numbers that Rondo's 9.2 points, 1.1 three-pointers, 5.3 rebounds, 8.0 assists, and 1.2 steals in 29.8 minutes.
Moreover, Rondo actually played in just 46 games last season, compared to Paul's 58 games played, so from a health standpoint, it appears that it is actually Rondo who has been showing the worse for wear of late.
Rondo remains to be a good point guard, and he might actually have a noteworthy season playing alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis. However, it still remains to be seen if he will actually be able to outplay Paul next season.
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