Rajon Rondo’s Game 2 Performance Inspired in Part by Brian Scalabrine

Prior to his heroic effort in a losing cause last night, Rajon Rondo sought basketball advice from one of the unlikeliest sources: former teammate Brian Scalabrine. Per CSNNE: “Scalabrine has always been a huge fan of Rondo since their playing days together in Boston, and Scal knows how special the point guard can be. Rondo clearly values Scalabrine’s views, as he asked him why he wasn’t having success around the rim in Game 1. Now we don’t know exactly what Scalabrine said to him, but Scal offered us a bit of insight into the meeting. In a nutshell: be aggressive. ‘Rajon, they’re collapsing on you,’ Scalabrine said of his message to Rondo on. ‘Use your instincts, make plays. That’s what you want to do. That’s why you’re so special. Your instincts are off the charts. If you see a layup, shoot a layup. If you [see] a pass, make the pass. Trust your guys: trust Ray Allen, trust Paul Pierce. And I feel like he feels that he needs to be more aggressive making basketball plays … If 20 shots is what it takes, that’s what it takes. Rajon Rondo needs to be more aggressive in making his players around him more better.'”