|
|
his month at the NHL draft, |
Rajon Rondo officially joined the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday with a clear idea about his future with LeBron James.
”We’re expected to win now Michael Gallup Youth Jersey ,” Rondo said.
Rondo agreed to a one-year deal worth $9 million earlier this week to suit up alongside James, whose signing hasn’t yet been announced by the Lakers.
The veteran point guard is eager to be a mentor to Lonzo Ball, and he sees a chance for immediate success with the thoroughly revamped club. The Lakers haven’t made the playoffs for a franchise-record five consecutive seasons, but Rondo believes they’ll make immediate strides back toward contention for a 17th NBA championship.
”You put any group of players around LeBron James, as he has done (eight) straight times, he went to the finals,” Rondo said. ”So my expectations are the exact same thing. Even with the Warriors adding (DeMarcus Cousins) and the Rockets being who they are, I think we fit right up there in the mix. It is early, obviously, and I’m not promising anything, but at the end of the day Dak Prescott Jersey Womens , I expect to win. Nothing else.”
Rondo is a familiar figure to Lakers fans, and not necessarily in a good way. He played a major role for the Celtics when they met the Lakers in the NBA Finals, winning a ring with Boston in 2008 and losing to LA in 2010.
Seeing Rondo on the other side of that enduring NBA rivalry won’t be as weird to Rondo as it might be to some Lakers fans.
”Does it feel strange? Um, no,” Rondo said. ”My battles with the Lakers were over a decade ago, and none of the players I was battling with are on the same roster.”
The 32-year-old Rondo expressed no concerns about playing with Ball, the precocious passer chosen by the Lakers with the second overall pick in last year’s draft. Ball will be sidelined for most of the summer with a torn meniscus in his left knee, but Rondo is eager to work on their chemistry in the fall.
”I’m excited to get a player that age and try to help him as much as I can,” said Rondo, a starter for all but small portions of his first 12 NBA seasons spent with five franchises.
Rondo sees the Lakers’ potential surplus of ball-handlers as an advantage. He isn’t worried about finding roles for everyone in coach Luke Walton’s up-tempo offense, which is designed to create plenty of offensive chances for every player.
”It will be very versatile Joe Thomas Jersey Youth , and I don’t think you’ll be able to scout and stick to one game plan as far as being able to stop a certain player,” Rondo said. ”I think guys like LeBron or myself, I haven’t played with a lot of guys that make plays for me. So it’s going to be exciting to be able to just get up, get a couple of easy looks, be able to push the pace in the open court.”
The Lakers also announced the re-signing of guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who got a one-year deal worth $12 million to provide a perimeter shooting threat to an offense that could still use more outside shooters.
The Lakers haven’t yet announced the acquisitions of James or veterans Lance Stephenson and JaVale McGee during a thorough makeover following the worst half-decade in franchise history.
—
Alex Ovechkin knows the Washington Capitals have plenty of fans back in Russia.
”Over there lots of friends, lots of people watch the games,” Ovechkin said of his countrymen. ”It’s been huge.”
He is also huge in Barrie, Ontario, where projected top-five draft pick Andrei Svechnikov has been watching Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov serve as inspirations for young Russian players and fans on this run to the Stanley Cup Final. The native of Siberian city Barnaul got to meet his fellow Russians on Monday morning and got an up-close view of their dominance in Game 4 that night.
”(Ovechkin) and Kuzy and Orlov Davante Adams Jersey Elite , these guys just famous in hockey world,” Svechnikov said. ”I am very happy.”
Ovechkin, Kuznetsov and Orlov are making plenty of young Russian players and fans happy. They are just one win away from winning the Stanley Cup. Svechnikov admired smooth-skating, high-scoring Hall of Fame winger Pavel Bure growing up, and now watches in amazement at what Kuznetsov does on the ice with his skill – not to mention his bird-flapping celebrations.
”Great skater. Every time wants to be involved, hungry every time. Very smart player. A lot of skill,” Svechnikov said of Kuznetsov, who leads the playoffs in scoring and added four assists in a 6-2 win over Vegas. ”He just like star, you know? He can do whatever he want.”
The joy of Ovechkin, Kuznetsov and Orlov is being watched closely not only in Washington but back home where they’re big fan favorites.
”A lot of people watching it because three Russian players in Washington and obviously Ovi big superstar in the world and everybody follow,” Orlov said. ”A lot of fans Blake Martinez Packers Jersey , a lot of kids enjoy his game.”
The Capitals could have the most Russians on a Cup champion in the salary-cap era. The 2004 Tampa Bay Lightning were backstopped to their first franchise title by Nikolai Khabibulin, and the Detroit Red Wings’ Russian Five in the 1990s shined a spotlight on all the talent coming out of the old Soviet system.
After Evgeni Malkin was the only Russian player on the Pittsburgh Penguins’ back-to-back Cup champions the past two seasons, this is another showcase of this generation of talent. Playoff leading scorer Kuznetsov and leading goal-scorer Ovechkin are also the top candidates to follow Malkin as just the second Russian to win the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
”Ovi has been a staple since he’s come into the league. Kuzy is a little newer,” coach Barry Trotz said. ”People don’t really know him as well as Ovi. You’re seeing the talent of Kuzy. You’ve seen the greatness of Ovi over the course of his career to this point. I think Kuzy is just getting better and better.”
The 26-year-old Kuznetsov is reluctant to talk about himself or any other individual player, but he knows this is special for Ovechkin, who is 32 and has been waiting 13 seasons for this with nine previous early playoff exits to his name.
”Every Russian guy back home pretty happy for him because that’s huge,” Kuznetsov said. ”That’s a long time.”
Ovechkin wished Svechnikov good luck later this month at the NHL draft, where he was the No. 1 pick back in 2004. A short conversation at a morning skate was enough to leave Svechnikov beaming.
”Just famous guy – everybody knows him and everybody watch him,” Svechnikov said. ”It’s just an honor to have met with him.”
—
More Stanley Cup coverage: .
« tackles in three seasonsale of the three-game serie »
Weitere Artikel der Kategorie Allgemein
RSS-Feed abonnieren
Besucher
Forum Statistiken
