Alvin Gentry Actually Wants to Start Jrue Holiday AND Rajon Rondo

Rajon Rondo and the New Orleans Pelicans reached a one-year deal on Saturday, and it is hard to see where he fits in.

After paying their point guard, and apparently $126 million man, Jrue Holiday, the Pelicans did what? Signed another point guard, who tends to have a problem with not being the main guy on a team. I love Rajon Rondo, and always have (as you can see in this outdated blog post from 2015), but this was not the best move in the world.

The thing about Rondo, is that he only plays great basketball when he has the ball in his hands the majority of the time. He was the only competent point guard in the state of Illinois and he was still a major problem at times in Chicago. For example, calling out the other Bulls veterans during the season:

Apparently Alvin Gentry, head coach of the Pelicans, has the answer for having two point guards, one who has to play to be happy, and another who will make more money this season than Kyrie Irving, Paul George, or Kawhi Leonard. The plan? Start them both. Alvin Gentry said on the Dunc & Holder podcast, that Holiday is expected to be the Pelicans’ starting Shooting Guard, while Rondo plays the Point. Blasphemous.

I’m the kind of guy that roots for these type of things to work out. Nothing makes me happier than a new strategy making other teams stay up at night trying to figure out how to stop it. The best example of this ever was Ronnie Brown running the Wildcat with the Miami Dolphins in 2008.

This strategy, however, will just simply not work. Gentry wants two ball dominant guards, to go in his starting lineup, which already has two centers, AD and Cousins. Sounds like too much crowding at two roles, and not enough players that can do the other work, like defend the perimeter, or space the floor, or hit the 3 consistently.

Basically, what I’m saying, is that the Pelicans were screwed before this signing, and they are still screwed. Be prepared to lose Anthony Davis, New Orleans.

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