2018 NBA Playoffs: 8 X-Factors to keep an eye on in the first-round

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NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 10: Rajon Rondo #9 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts against the Brooklyn Nets in the first quarter during their game at Barclays Center on February 10, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

Rajon Rondo, New Orleans Pelicans

“Kid’s got alligator blood. Can’t get rid of him,” said John Malkovich in the great poker movie, “Rounders.” He may as well have been talking about Rajon Rondo.

Remember a year ago, after a year of underachieving with a “retooled” but soon to be “rebuilding” Bulls team, Rondo, apparently playing possum, sprang to life. In the first two games of the series against the top seeded Celtics and their All-NBA point guard, Isaiah Thomas, Rondo was the bigger story. He was a game high +24 in plus/minus and led the starters in DefRTG with a 98.

The Bulls, shockingly, were up 2-0 heading home when it came out that Rondo broke his thumb and was done. And just like that the series was over and not a single game was especially close without him.

He has one of the freakiest wingspans ever, he’s been playing well lately, and he tends to save his best for the playoffs.

The Pelicans are a kind of weird team. They were trying to make two big men work with DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis, before the former’s devastating achilles rupture. And they often deploy two point guards in Rondo and Jrue Holiday. But what they lack in spacing, they make up for with excellent defense in the back court and if the Peli’s can beat the Trail Blazers, it’ll probably be in large part because Rondo and Holiday made life very uncomfortable for Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum.

Oh right, and Anthony Davis continues to play like he just might be the best player in the world like he has since Cousins went down. Rondo might get some of his patented silly assist-totals just hooking up with “The Brow.”