Lakers Championship Odds Still +240 With Rajon Rondo Out After Fracturing Right Thumb

• Rajon Rondo broke his thumb in Lakers practise and will miss at least the eight seeding games and first round of the playoffs
• The Lakers already without Avery Bradley, leaving the backcourt rotation looking sparse
• LAL are still title favorites – how will Rondo’s injury impact the Lakers’ chances? See full NBA championship odds below

The Lakers already faced a dilemma in the backcourt with Avery Bradley opting out of the Orlando bubble. Rajon Rondo’s broken thumb, sustained in practice, requires surgery and as reported by Shams Charania, forces him to miss six to eight weeks of basketball.

Despite losing two important players, the Lakers remain atop the NBA 2020 Championship odds. Their price of +240 leads the pack, notably ahead of both the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers, who share +300 odds.

2020 NBA Championship Odds

Odds taken Jul. 13th

Guard Minutes

Rondo has been playing over 20 minutes per game this year. Bradley was starting in one of the guard spots. The Lakers have lost almost 45 minutes per game, and while they aren’t their two most important players, that’s a lot of minutes to make up.

Many Lakers fans would’ve liked Alex Caruso to see more minutes throughout the year. His chance is coming. Caruso has been playing 17 minutes per game, shooting the ball at a decent rate and playing good defense.

He owns a net rating of 11.3 – the Lakers are a much better defensive team with him on the floor. Rondo’s on/off numbers are ugly, but that’s in part because a lot of his minutes come when LeBron James is resting.

That’s the most important element of Rondo’s absence. He’s average defensively at this late stage of his career, but he’s the only natural point guard on the roster after LeBron. Ball-handling and play making are what he brought to the team – the Lakers are short on a primary ball handler in the non-LeBron minutes.

Perhaps we will see more of the Lakers going super-big late in games now. Anthony Davis, James and Danny Green are locks to be on the court, but Frank Vogel could throw Kyle Kuzma and one of his centers alongside them.

Does Rondo Come Back?

Rondo, who posted just a few days ago complaining about his hotel room, now faces a lengthy period away from the court. Getting up to speed for the playoffs was due to be a challenge without any injury setbacks – it is going to be much tougher for the 34-year-old now.

Whether through his choice or otherwise, it’s possible Rondo does not re-appear for the Lakers this year. Assuming LA make it into the second round, they will probably have a settled backcourt rotation, and Rondo will be coming in cold.

This injury is severe enough that the assumption could (or should) be this is the end of Rondo’s season.

Strained Backcourt

With no Bradley or Rondo, the Lakers are suddenly dependent on major minutes from Caruso and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Both have played well this year, but their importance to the team has skyrocketed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkuP0VPBmUI

J.R. Smith and Dion Waiters are also more relevant than they were. Neither are a lock to be productive or get playoff minutes. They were no more than a fun wildcard a few weeks ago – that has changed. The Lakers are edging towards the point where they will need contributions from that pair. Their margin for error has decreased markedly.

The complementary players are important, of course, and the Lakers need a solid group around James and Davis, but while their two superstars are healthy and playing great basketball, they are going to be a title favorite.

They’d obviously rather have Rondo available, though it’s not as significant a loss as Bradley. There will be competition for playoff minutes in the seeding games, perhaps Rondo’s absence allows them to have a better look at Waiters, Smith and Caruso.