Ainge: Rondo 'Not Close' to Returning

Good morning?

In an interview with the Sports Hub's 'Toucher & Rich' program, President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge did his best to ruin everyone's Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa, Festivus,etc. by extinguishing the fire that burns in every Celtics fan's heart.


Clearly, I'm being a bit drastic above. But this is definitelya disappointment. Especially in light of the plethora of news that has come out recently that seemed to suggest Rondo's return would come sooner than later.

However, as Jay King of MassLive points out, these comments could be a tactical decision by Ainge, who may be looking to protect his point guard. After seeing how Derek Rose was treated by the media last season, it would make sense for Ainge to take a proactive approach to the matter - doing his best to make sure there's no outside pressure for Rondo to return before he's 100% ready.