Rajon Rondo has been one of the biggest storylines to headline the NBA season. The point guard entered the season in his final year of his contract with the Boston Celtics. He stressed his commitment to the team while the losses piled up to begin the year. However, the Celtics felt the pressure that he wold leave in free agency and opted to trade Rondo to the Dallas Mavericks who had one of the highest functioning offenses in the league. Now he returns to Boston to face his former team for the first time. 

The Mavericks are hoping Rondo is the final piece to their championship puzzle. They gave up several assets and two draft picks to acquire the point guard in hopes that he could help get the Mavericks past teams like the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma State in the Western Conference. Rondo is embracing his new role in Dallas. The point guard ranks third in the league with 10.1 assists per game, but with the Mavericks he is averaging 7.8 while scoring 13.2 points per game in the past give games. That is a better scoring effort than with Boston. 

Dallas is fresh off a three-game win streak during a home stand which ended with a win over the Washington Wizards. They forced 23 turnovers while committing just seven turnovers themselves. Dirk Nowitzki put up 13 points in the win while Chandler Parsons had a team-high 29 while putting up 7 of 11 from beyond the arc in the past two games. 

While Dallas is thriving with Rondo on the court, the Boston Celtics have yet to find his replacement. The team has been working between Evan Turner and Marcus Smart. Turner has been playing better than the rookie at the moment, putting up 10 points and 11 assists in a win over the Sacramento Kings. Meanwhile Jeff Green and Avery Bradley have been holding the scoring weight. The Mavericks will certainly be a tough test for the Celtics as Rondo's return will highlight the game. 

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