Dalano Banton modeled his game after Rajon Rondo

Celtics

Rondo helped the Celtics win the 2008 NBA championship.

When Boston Celtics fans watch their new guard Dalano Banton on the court this season, they may be reminded of a familiar face.

According to Taylor Snow, the Celtics’ in-house senior writer, Banton modeled his game after Rajon Rondo. Rondo helped the Celtics win the 2008 NBA Championship as their starting point guard in just his second season in the league. He continued to serve as a veteran leader for Boston until he was traded in 2014.

Banton’s stat sheet backs up the comparison. Rondo’s signature skills were his passing ability and vision, two things that Banton has received plenty of praise for. Banton’s defensive ability and potential are also secret strengths of his game, just as Rondo’s defense often went under the radar during his time in Boston.

But despite how similar they play, the two players don’t look very much alike. Snow said that Banton had a massive growth spurt in high school, growing from 5’9” as a freshman to 6’6” as a junior, which is significantly taller than Rondo at 6’1”.

Banton’s fascination for Rondo’s game may stem from the time he spent near Boston. He was born and raised in Toronto, but spent much of his high school career in Massachusetts. Banton played for MacDuffie School in Granville and Redemption Christian Academy in Northfield before he agreed to play NCAA basketball for the University of Nebraska.

The Celtics will debut Banton this season, and he will hopefully provide the team with the passing and defense that Rondo showed a decade ago.