The best spots where former Wildcat Rondae Hollis-Jefferson should go
After four years with the Brooklyn Nets, former Wildcat Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is on the move, but the question is just exactly where should he go.
When one door closes, soon another will be open somewhere, and that will certainly be the case for former Wildcat, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. It was announced just a couple days ago, that he will become a free agent.
After spending four, semi-productive years with the Nets, Hollis-Jefferson will have to find a new home and that’s where we take a look at where he could potentially fit in the best.
Arizona Wildcats
Anyone seeking a talented wing player with great defensive skills, but some limitations offensively, then Rondae is your guy. While it’s too early to determine whether or not he can still become a star in this league, he does provide a lot of value for potential suitors.
Just as a refresher, in his four years spent with the Nets, he averaged 9.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Certainly not superstar numbers, but he has shown a lot of value, and with the right team, perhaps we could see an uptick in his production.
Things were looking promising for Rondae in 2017-18, when he finished the year averaging a career high 13.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steals. However, in 2018-19, he saw decreased production and playing time, as the veteran battled a few injuries.
So where should Rondae go?
Phoenix Suns- This is more of a biased selection, but to me, this is really contingent on what the Suns will potentially do with TJ Warren and Josh Jackson. Should the Suns’ organization decide to move on from those two and start building out the roster with talented, defensive-minded wings/ players, Rondae would be a great fit here.
Forget the ‘he can’t shoot’ argument, the Suns currently have Jackson who also can’t shoot, plus the team was one of the worst shooting teams last year, so making the case for Jackson to stay, meanwhile passing on Rondae is kind of a silly argument.
In addition to that, the Suns were one of the worst defensive teams last year, so can’t help but see how Rondae couldn’t help there. Him and Mikal Bridges would be great defensive wings!
Plus, it’d be nice to see another former Wildcat just up the road!
Boston Celtics- Oddly enough, the C’s are in need of quite the rebuild. As it stands, they are projected to lose Kyrie Irving and Al Horford with both becoming free agents. So why not bring in a player of Rondae’s caliber?
He would be a nice complimentary piece alongside talented players like; Jayson Tatum, Gordon Hayward and Jaylen Brown, plus, he fits their defensive style, and I’m sure his personality would be contagious among the Boston faithful!
Chicago Bulls- The Bulls are a mess, but need wings, and need wings bad! The have a few solid pieces in place, but shoring up their perimeter defense and play by bringing in a savvy veteran like Rondae that can defend and potentially give valuable minutes off the bench, this makes me think he could fit well within the Bulls’ organization.
Indiana Pacers- The team is light on wing defenders and need a bit of help here. Victor Oladipo is a solid two-guard, but he will return from injury, so it’ll be interesting to see if he can return to the dominant form we saw from him last year.
The Pacers currently use Doug McDermott at the three, but the veteran lacks a bit defensively. Rondae could surely help here, and based on their career stats, Rondae is a net/ net-plus offensive player compared to what they got from McDermott last year, who averaged just 7.3 points per game.
Cleveland Cavaliers- The Cavs have a new, defensive-minded coach in John Beilein and it’s possible the new NBA coach could target the free agent market to find a savvy veteran or two like Rondae.
The Cavaliers could use quite a bit of help, and Rondae could certainly provide a lot of value here. He I think fits Beilein’s system, based on what he ran at Michigan, but it’ll be interesting to see if he could become the next Wildcat in Cleveland!
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At Zona Zealots, we’re hopeful for Rondae and can’t wait to see where he ends up. We’re hoping he can continue to get his chance! As always, Bear Down, Arizona!