New Orleans Pelicans Guard Rajon Rondo Dealing With Sports Hernia, May Need Surgery

Rajon Rondo's first season in New Orleans is off to a rough start.

Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry has confirmed that Rondo has been diagnosed with sports hernia and he is scheduled to see a specialist on Monday, Oct. 9, to determine whether surgery is required.

There is still no clear timetable for Rondo's return, but The New Orleans Advocate's Mike Helfgot has reported that he's expected to miss four weeks while he recovers from the injury.

The veteran point guard sustained the injury in the first half of their preseason game against the Oklahoma City Thunder last Friday, and it forced him to sit out Sunday's matchup against his former team, the Chicago Bulls.

Rondo is no longer a triple-double threat at this point in his career, but he's still a reliable floor general and the Pelicans will surely miss his leadership presence on the court if he misses a significant amount of games at the start of the season.

"Best I've been around in 30 years in the league as far as a guy who really takes young players under his wing and tries to teach them. He's just a great leader to have on your team. If you want to have a mentor in this league, I would suggest him," Gentry said, via The New Orleans Advocate.

Gentry also noted that Rondo is there to help them bring out the best in Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins.

"He is going to be a big help in that situation. He has played with DeMarcus already (in Sacramento). He is trying to find out about Anthony's game. He spends a lot of time studying guys," Gentry stated.

Despite the initial hype, the Pelicans didn't really win many games after they acquired Cousins from the Sacramento, but that could change this season.

Jrue Holiday should move back to the point guard position while Rondo is on the shelf.