Evaluating Rajon Rondo's Early Impact on Dallas Mavericks Offense

Rajon Rondo's initial impact on the Dallas Mavericks' historic offense has been questioned since he was traded by the Boston Celtics. The Mavs have been forced to adjust around the former All-Star, and it hasn't been easy.

Making a midseason blockbuster trade is always tough. Even if you receive an excellent piece in return, shaking up a functioning roster will always bring some growing pains with the potential.

What made Dallas' offense so great was the fact that head coach Rick Carlisle was able to put four players who can shoot and drive around Tyson Chandler. The Mavs terrorized the league with their constant drive-and-kicks, probing defenses until they found the best possible look.

With Rondo replacing Jameer Nelson in the starting lineup, the identity of the offense is changing a little bit. Rondo, 28, has never been a good shooter, and whenever he shares the floor with Chandler, the spacing suffers. Bryan Gutierrez of Mavs Outsider used the following play to exemplify the issue:

In the play above, the Atlanta Hawks completely disregard Rondo. They pack the paint to prevent any kind of drive and don't even bother closing out on Dallas' point guard. He has no other choice but to shoot.

Not only does Rondo have to learn the tendencies of his teammates, but the Mavs drivers have to adjust to playing with less space. The lanes that were usually open after an initial drive-and-kick are not always there, and Dallas has to find creative ways to counteract that.

Great defensive teams will continue to dare Rondo to shoot by packing the paint, and the best way around that is for Rondo to actually make the looks he is being handed on a plate.

In hindsight, it's easy to propose that Dallas should have stuck with their historically great offense rather than take on the challenge of integrating Rondo midseason. The team's superstar, Dirk Nowitzki, suggests that remaining stuck in the past is futile.

"The makeup is a little different now. It doesn't really matter what it was like before," Nowitzki said, according to Gutierrez. "We've got to get it done with the group that we have. We like the team. We feel like we've got a lot of weapons."

Carlisle has so far found clever ways to integrate his new player and alter his schemes a little. Rondo himself is a very intelligent player, and he has picked up the offense quickly. Here are a couple plays the Mavs have run with Rondo to counteract the lack of spacing:

The best way to keep a defense honest when it cheats off a non-shooter is to introduce a whole lot of off-ball cuts and screens. As long as the guy who can't shoot doesn't remain stationary, he can be a threat. Rondo, Monta Ellis and Chandler Parsons are all capable of breaking down a defense in the pick-and-roll, and Dallas' drive-and-kick game remains a dangerous weapon.

In the first play of the above montage, Rondo starts the possession off with a high pick-and-roll with Nowitzki. He then kicks the ball out to Ellis, who pump fakes, drives and dishes the ball back out to the perimeter.

Rondo's lack of shooting doesn't become that big of a factor when the Mavs have a sufficient amount of marksmen around him and when he is allowed to initiate the offense.

The second clip features another nifty play with a ton of ball movement. Rondo gives up the ball and sets a down screen for Chandler, who flashes to the right elbow. Chandler quickly finds Ellis, sets a pick at the left elbow, and Ellis is able to find Nowitzki after curling around the screen (with this beautiful set, Nowitzki passed Elvin Hayes on the all-time scoring list).

In the third play, the Mavs do a good job playing off Dirk, who is constantly drawing a double-team in the post. Eventually, Nowitzki finds a cutting Rondo, who drives and locates Ellis in the corner. Throughout the possession, Rondo continues to move and is actively looking to create a passing lane to himself.

The fourth and final play is another example of Rondo staying alert. He recognizes that the Oklahoma City Thunder's Russell Westbrook has his attention on Dirk and cuts behind him to the basket instead of remaining stationary.

An aspect of Dallas' offense that it looking a lot crisper since Rondo's arrival is the transition game. Here are some examples:

Rondo has been terrific at picking the right pace in transition and semi-transition. He has a good feel for when to push the ball hard, like he does in the first clip of the montage, and when to casually jog and wait on a trailing big man, as seen in the second play.

In the final four clips, Rondo finds Ellis leaking out in transition with a full-court pass and also hits shooters with pocket passes as soon as he crosses the half-court line. If there is an opportunity to score running a fast break, you can put your money on Rondo to find it.

Several teams have tried to bait the Mavs into shooting from the outside by playing zone defense since Rondo's arrival. The Mavericks rank third in the league in three-point attempts but just 16th in terms of long-range accuracy. Most teams would rather live with a streaky Dallas team shooting a bunch of threes than giving up shots at the rim.

Carlisle countered opposing zone defenses by putting Rondo in the middle of the floor, where he was able to facilitate plays both for himself and his teammates. Here are several examples of that:

Rondo doesn't need a lot of time to make a decision in those plays. He sees the floor well and decides whether he wants to attack the basket himself or look for teammates. He is great at finding cutters with bounce passes, while also being able to hit corner shooters if opponents help on his drives.

Carlisle often has his guards screening for other shooters, like Rondo does in these two plays:

Ellis likes setting cross screens for baseline cutters and down screens for shooters popping out to the perimeter. Nelson didn't do this as much. Rondo sets more sturdy picks and is able to get his teammates open, regardless of if he is the one facilitating the dribble handoff or just participating in weak-side action.

Above everything else, Rondo is just a fantastic passer. His vision, instincts and ability to deliver the ball are almost unrivaled in the league. He creates shot opportunities in ways that are sometimes inconceivable. Here are some examples:

Rondo really does see the whole floor and reads his teammates very well. Instead of simply moving the ball around the perimeter, he is able to thread the needle and put other players in scoring positions.

He is also great at hitting guys who are coming off screens. Carlisle has had Nowitzki doing more cutting and less grinding in the post this year, and Rondo has always been terrific at hitting his shooters as soon as they square up to the basket.

Rondo has grown more comfortable in Dallas, which is evident when he starts showing off his trickery, as he does on this play:

Final Thoughts

Rondo's inability to shoot is a hindrance to the Mavericks, but early signs would suggest that Carlisle will find ways to work around that. He had success running a small lineup with four shooters around Rondo against the Thunder and will likely continue tinkering with his five-man units.

The offensive numbers dropping off somewhat was to be expected, and Dallas hopes that a more balanced defense will surface with Rondo in the fold.

In his first five games, Rondo has one of the best net ratings on the team, although it's not something that is particularly definitive of his presence. It's still a tiny sample size, and Dallas' bench has gotten a lot weaker since shipping out Brandan Wright, which affects those numbers as well.

Rondo's first few games have answered some of the questions regarding whether he can be an effective part of this offense, but there remains a lot of intrigue around the Mavs and their new identity.

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