Rajon Rondo calls coach Brad Stevens a "great leader," easy to play hard for

Besides developing all of its young players, the biggest thing to keep an eye on in Boston is going to be what happens to Rajon Rondo.

You already know the score. He's in a contract year, coming off another injury, in the middle of his prime, on a rebuilding team. Add all that up and you get a giant question mark. What will Rondo do? He says he wants to be in Boston, but will that still be the case after going through another sub-30-win season and other teams like Los Angeles and New York knocking on his door?

What will Celtics GM Danny Ainge do? Will he hold onto his one All-Star in the hopes of building around him? Does he trust what Rondo says, about sticking around, or does he try to move his star point guard so he doesn't lose Rondo for nothing? Is he comfortable giving Rondo a large contract this summer or would he rather use that money elsewhere, given where the team currently stands?

The season hasn't started yet and Rondo has yet to return from his broken hand. It's safe to say none of these questions will be answered anytime soon.

For those who want Rondo to be "the guy" in Boston for the foreseeable future, there is at least some encouraging news. He seems to really like coach Brad Stevens.

From David Aldridge at NBA.com:

"He's very positive," Rondo said after getting serious Thursday. "He's the most positive coach I've ever been around in my career. It's hard not to want to play as hard as you can for a guy that shows it every day, not just in the locker room, but off the court, with his family. He's a great man and he's a great role model. That's a prime example of a great leader. He's very consistent in what he does. He's all about the team. He wants us to play very hard and he wants us to win."

Just how big of a factor liking the coach will have on Rondo's future plans remains to be seen, but it certainly can't hurt. It's still October. Prepare for many more tea leaves to be read as everyone tries to figure out what the plan is in Boston.

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