Friday Notebook: Rondo's Debut, Chris Johnson's Call

Posted by Tom Westerholm on Jan 17, 2014 (23 minutes ago)

Happy Rondo day, everybody!

In case this is your first time visiting this site in the past two weeks, Rajon Rondo will return for tonight's game against the Los Angeles Lakers - his first game back since tearing his ACL in January.

We haven't seen Rondo on a basketball court in quite a while, so here's ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg on what to expect:

The Rondo that the Celtics will receive Friday will be on a minutes restriction designed to initially limit him to 18-20 minutes overall (and maybe just five minutes per quarter). The Celtics have taken things slow with Rondo to this point, and they don't plan to hit the accelerator just because he's getting back on the floor.

Danny Ainge did joke that Rondo will likely be trying to check himself into games in order to stretch out his minutes early on, but the team is looking at his return as simply the next step in his rehab process.

'I think he's anxious to play, and I just didn't think he's been ready to play,' Ainge said of Rondo taking it slow to this point. He is just less than a year removed from the initial tear and 11 months out from surgery.'

Tempered expectations are safe expectations for Rondo this evening. He's not going to throw up one of his patented lines against the Heat, but his teammates have been impressed with him in practice, and he will certainly be excited to be out there.

If Rondo DOES have an impressive game, don't be surprised if he disappoints Sunday against Orlando. It's not uncommon for returning players to be so pumped full of adrenaline that they either ignore or don't notice mounting soreness during their triumphant debut (and, for Rondo, his triumphant debut doubles as a match-up against the hated Lakers). After that, when the adrenaline has worn off and the healing joints have cooled, the next few games are often much tougher. Big-game Rondo is an over-worn narrative, but he does seem to get much more engaged with some games than others, and you can bet he's going to be more engaged with his first game back against the Lakers than he is with the Magic, especially if/when his joints start hurting.

Teammates anticipate Rondo's return

Gerald Wallace has been one of the more outspoken members of the roster all season. He has questioned the team's intensity, which hasn't always necessarily seemed fair, but Wallace is a veteran who has forgotten more than I like to pretend I know about basketball, so maybe he knows best.

Perhaps Rondo's return will placate Crash, at least for a while. He talked to reporters about Rondo's return on Wednesday.

'We've been playing together in practice,' Wallace said. 'His intensity and enthusiasm toward the game has been something I've been looking forward to playing with. We'll welcome him back with open arms. I really am [excited to have him back]. Just from playing against him over the years and knowing how he plays and the competitiveness he has, I'm excited to get out on the court with him.'

As of now, Boston is 18th in pace - too slow for a squad that rarely (if ever) has the best player in the floor. Wallace has struggled finding his shot this season, averaging just 3.1 field goal attempts per game, but assuming Rondo's return will help the team pick up the pace, Wallace will likely be one of the main beneficiaries.

'He'll open up the transition more, he'll cause more havoc in the pick-and-roll,' Wallace said. 'He's able to find guys when those guys don't even think they are open. He'll just make everyone's game a little easier offensively.'

Avery Bradley concurred.

'Obviously, like anybody, it could take a while, but I feel like he's going to come out and perform well,' he said. 'He's a great player, and he's going to make it a lot easier on everyone.'

One underrated aspect of Wednesday's win was the pressure it may have relieved for Rondo. Instead of feeling like he needs to swoop in and end a lengthy losing streak, he can now just focus on his recovery and keeping his body healthy through his return.

'That's big for us to bring a win in for our leader,' Bradley said. 'I know he can't wait till he comes back. We can't either. I'm excited.'

Chris Johnson signs a 10-day contract

No, not that Chris Johnson. This Chris Johnson.

Johnson is a small forward, so it's unclear whether or not he'll get minutes, but he's averaging 47 percent from the field and 37 percent from deep, so it's possible he could play back-up shooting guard as well. He played 102 minutes in eight games for Memphis last season.

Fun note about Johnson: His D-League team - the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston's affiliate - has been driving old-school basketball analysts crazy with their style of play. Zach Lowe, back in December:

The Vipers, Houston's D-League affiliate, average nearly 112 possessions per game - about a dozen more than any NBA team. All that sprinting and 3-point gunning has produced 115 points per 100 possessions, best in the D-League and a number that would blow away the entire NBA. 'If we could take a 3 every time down the court,' [Rio Grande coach Nevada] Smith says, 'we probably would. There's going to be a game where we shoot 60. I'm telling you. And people are going to think we're crazy.'

There are a few players on Boston's D-League affiliate who probably deserve a shot in the NBA for the rebuilding Celtics (Romero Osby, Frank Gaines, Chris Wright), but there's plenty of time for that. For now, Johnson may be a fun player, if he can squeeze his way into the rotation during this contract.

You can check out some of his preseason highlights here (they start at 1:15 mark)

Follow Tom on Twitter: @Tom_NBA.

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