Rajon Rondo Traded to the Mavericks

The first blockbuster trade of the 2014-15 NBA season has happened. ESPN has reported that the Boston Celtics have traded point guard Rajon Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks for Jameer Nelson, Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, a 2015 first round pick, and a future second round pick.

The man leading the league with 10.6 assists per game will now join a prolific starting lineup that consists of Monta Ellis, Chandler Parsons, Dirk Nowtizki and Tyson Chandler. Dallas is currently 19-8, good for sixth in a tightly-packed Western Conference.

Rondo will look to win another title, this time with the Dallas Mavericks.
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Rondo is having another consistent season, averaging 8.3 points, 10.2 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game for Boston, who are currently 9-14 on the year (9th in the East). He had been rumored to be on the trading block for about the last years, but no major discussion had taken place until recently. The Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks and Houston Rockets were all rumored to be trying to acquire the 28-year-old floor general, but Dallas appeared to have taken the lead over the past week.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHFwwwle-qw

The move is a gamble for Dallas, as Rondo has the option to leave for another team in free agent during the upcoming offseason. However, the thinking around the league is that the Mavs would not have pulled the trigger if they did not have reassurances that Rondo would resign with the team.

His first game as a Maverick will be on Saturday, Dec. 20, when Dallas hosts the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in a rematch of last years' Western Conference first round matchup.

During Rondo's tenure in Boston he averaged 11 points, 8.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game in a little over eight seasons with the Celtics.

Stay tuned for any additional updates.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXcNgF4eq3c

2014-15 NBA Standings

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Daily Recap- Dec. 17

Top Performances

Andre Drummond (Detroit C)- Grabbed 24 rebounds, and added 19 points in a 117-106 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. Drummond was an absolute force on the boards, out-rebounding Tyson Chandler 24-9. His 19 points marked the sixth straight game that the young center has scored in double-digits, and is a positive sign for the struggling Pistons.

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Chandler Parsons (Dallas SF)- Dropped 32 points on 10-17 shooting in a win over the Detroit Pistons. Parsons grabbed seven rebounds and scored over 30 points for the second time in four games. He looks to be more comfortable in head coach Rick Carlisle's system, which means he will take more pressure off of Dirk Nowitzki and Monta Ellis on the offensive end. Parsons' quiet athleticism and speed allow him to guard multiple positions on the defensive end, and allows him to score in many ways on offense.

Gordon Hayward (Utah SG/SF)- Posted a stat line of 29 points, seven assists and six rebounds in a 105-87 win over the Miami Heat. Hayward and the Jazz dominated Miami from start to finish Wednesday, and appear to be much improved from last season. The Butler product is having a sold season so far, averaging almost 19 points and six rebounds per game for Utah.

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Danny Green (San Antonio SG)- Scored 27 points, grabbed seven rebounds and blocked five shots in a 117-116 triple-overtime loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. Green's production can be hit or miss, but when he's hitting his 3-pointers and grabbing rebounds, he makes a great impact on the Spurs.

Dwayne Wade (Miami SG)- Tallied 42 points in a 105-87 loss to the Utah Jazz. Wade scored almost half of Miami's points, and was his highest point total since 2010. The 32-year-old is going to have to continue to carry the scoring load with Josh McRoberts (Out for the year) and Chris Bosh dealing with big injuries.

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Zach Randolph (Memphis PF)- Recorded a double-double of 21 points and 21 rebounds in Memphis' win over the Spurs on Wednesday night. Randolph played 48 minutes one night after a win against the Warriors, but showed no effects of fatigue in the win. He continues to be one of the more consistent double-double threats in the league.

Game of the Night

The Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs battled in a grind-it-out contest featuring two top tier Western Conference teams. Grizzlies' center Marc Gasol banked in a 3-pointer off of one foot to send the game into overtime, which was followed up by Tim Duncan's fadeaway that forced the game into the third and final overtime. Memphis would finally prevail 117-116 in what was surely one of the best games of year.

Link- https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=X265E0pRq2k 
 

2014-15 NBA Standings

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Follow me on Twitter @Lower_Merion33

Daily Recap- Dec. 16

Who Was Hot

John Wall (Washington PG)- Tallied 21 points and 17 assists in a 109-95 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Wall's 17 assists tied his career-high, which was set eight days ago (Dec. 8 against Boston), and is having by far the best season of his career. The Wizards are competing for a top seed in the East, and it would not be possible without the stellar play of their young point guard.

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Anthony Davis (New Orleans PF/C)- Had a monster game in his return, scoring 31 points and grabbing nine rebounds in a 119-111 win over the Utah Jazz. Davis showed no signs of the chest injury that caused his one game absence, and had his way all night from anywhere on the floor. Pelicans' fans have nothing to worry about, as their young franchise star will continue to dominate opponents all season long.

Ryan Anderson (New Orleans PF)- Made 10 of his 15 shot attempts, and scored 28 points in a 119-111 win over the Utah Jazz. Anderson has scored over 25 points in two of his last three games, and appears to be taking some of the pressure off of teammate Anthony Davis.

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Enes Kanter (Utah C)- Scored a career-high 29 points in a loss to the Pelicans. Kanter shot 12 of 22 from the field, and had an overall great game for the Jazz. He has scored over 20 points in two of his last three games, and is developing nicely for the Jazz this season.

Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City PG)- Filled up the stat sheet with 32 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals in a 104-92 win over the Sacramento Kings. Westbrook absolutely took over the final five minutes of the game with his defense and acrobatics on offense. He looks to be fully recovered from his broken hand and is playing at a top-tier level for the rising Thunder. It marked Westbrook's ninth straight game with 20 or more points.

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Plays of the Night

Sacramento Kings' forward Rudy Gay put Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka on a poster with a huge dunk on Tuesday night.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rB-HGIWcVw

Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook threw down a monster dunk in the final minutes agains the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. He slipped past guard Ben McLemore, and dunked the ball with less than two seconds on the shot clock, propelling the Thunder to a 104-92 victory.

Link- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7ZP1X9ipW4

2014-15 NBA Standings

Check out bunow.com for local and national stories written by Bloomsburg University students.
Follow me on Twitter @Lower_Merion33