'Consider the Source': Rajon Rondo, Big Baby's Shots at Chris Paul Need Context

LOS ANGELES — Can we fast-forward to a playoff series featuring the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets already? Then again, the Rockets and Lakers are currently ranked 12th and 14th in the conference, respectively, so who knows?!

The 2018-19 NBA season is just over a week old, and drama quickly unfolded Saturday when the Lakers and Rockets turned to fisticuffs at Staples Center in a 124-115 Houston victory.

In the end, Brandon Ingram was suspended four games, Rajon Rondo three and Chris Paul two. The good news for those who love this drama is the players are still able to talk to the media while under suspension.

Rondo didn't disappoint, unloading on Paul to ESPN:

"Everyone wants to believe Chris Paul is a good guy. They don't know he's a horrible teammate. They don't know how he treats people. Look at what he did last year when he was in L.A., trying to get to the [Los Angeles] Clippers locker room. They don't want to believe he's capable of taunting and igniting an incident. ... He comes out and says I spit, and the media sides with that."

Media or no, the NBA determined Rondo the guiltier party, probably intimating they think he spat on Paul, and was thereby given an extra-game suspension for his part in the melee.

Paul's ex-Clippers teammate Glen "Big Baby" Davis—who won a title with Rondo in Boston in 2008—quickly corroborated Rondo's claim:

Davis wasn't the only former Clipper who was ready to move on from Paul. Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan may not come out and say it publicly, but multiple people affiliated with the Clippers (some previously) described the last year or two of the Lob City run as toxic, with some of the blame squarely on Paul.

If that's the case, is Rondo right?

"Rondo hasn't been the best teammate everywhere he's been," a former Clippers employee said.

Rondo was known for having run-ins with Doc Rivers when both were in Boston. The veteran point guard also had a difficult experience seeing eye to eye in Dallas with Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle in 2014-15.

Rockets general manager Daryl Morey gave his take with a simple tweet of a black pot and kettle:

Davis' comments didn't bolster Rondo's case, as the former NBA forward/center has lashed out multiple times since leaving the Clippers. An executive, not with the Clippers, noted that Davis has "been saying a lot of weird [expletive] in the media lately" and that he apparently "was very difficult to deal with" in Los Angeles. One player-agent was less diplomatic, saying, "Big Baby is a world-class idiot."

So, maybe Rondo is better off on his own here.

One Eastern Conference executive noted that Rondo and Paul probably have some legitimate points to make, but in terms of Rondo's comments, "Consider the source, and in this case, especially so."

For the Lakers, one executive couldn't offer much, never having spent significant time with Paul, who was never a Laker (except for a brief hour once upon a time).

There may not be a right answer. Paul and Rondo may be more similar than they are different. Both are extremely competitive, intelligent, successful and elite at their positions as floor generals. They are also both strong father figures in their respective families. Neither likes to lose. Neither is used to backing down. To do so would be out of character.

Despite the league's ruling, Rondo insisted he didn't spit on Paul, at least intentionally. Paul disagreed, as did the league. The resulting fight was unfortunate, though the drama has been entertaining.

The Lakers remain winless through three games, while the Rockets are only 1-2, losing Sunday without Paul to the Clippers. The Lakers and Rockets meet in Houston on Dec. 13, but three more regular-season battles won't be enough. Seven more, please, in the form of a playoff series. Any round will suffice.

Email Eric Pincus at [e-mail] and follow him on Twitter, @EricPincus.