Rondo Gives Himself 79% Chance At Playing In Celtics' Opener
BOSTON (CBS) -- Last week, Rajon Rondo didn't want to put a number on his chances of playing in Boston's opener on Wednesday night.
But with their season just two days away, Rondo did have a number on Monday morning: 79 percent.
"That's pretty high," Rondo told the large group of reporters gathered around him at the Celtics' practice facilities in Waltham. "I mean, I feel good. It's just contact is a completely different thing. If I land on it or if I get taken out of the air and have to brace myself it's still different, so I don't know yet.
"I'm optimistic," he continued. "I'm going to get probably another X-ray today and we'll see how it goes in practice today. Just taking it one day at a time. I don't think Wednesday is realistic, but a lot of rest and more treatment, you never know."
It was initially thought that Rondo, who underwent surgery on a broken bone in his left hand in late September, would miss the first few weeks of the season. But he participated in his first full contact practice on Friday, and is expecting to do the same on Monday.
"It was OK," he said of his first practice, which included a brief scare when he got the hand caught in a teammates jersey. "I felt fine. I didn't favor it at all, I think. It got bent back a little bit but other than that it's fine."
Head coach Brad Stevens said a decision won't come until Rondo meets with doctors later this week, but is terming his star point guard as questionable against the Brooklyn Nets.
"It's going to be about how he feels. If he goes through the next couple days without pain and he feels really good and the doctors give him clearance, he'll be good to go," said Stevens. "There's a lot of 'ifs' there. I'd say he's somewhere in the realm of questionable, but all signs have been moving forward."
Stevens said when Rondo is good to go, he'll likely play his star guard for shorter periods until he gets his wind back, something he learned from last season when Rondo returned from an ACL tear.
"If he were to play as early as this week then I would probably play him in shorter stints, but still play him quite a bit," said Stevens. "I'll probably look more at four or five-minute stints at a time, and then shorter rests, and then right back in. Because I think you can also get a little tight if you sit for too long."
Stevens On Rondo:
In 30 games for Boston last season, Rondo averaged 11.7 points, 9.5 assists and 5.5 rebounds in 33.3 minutes per game.
Stevens said last week that if Rondo cannot go in Wednesday's opener, rookie Marcus Smart will get the start at point guard.
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