Rajon Rondo Makes Dallas Mavericks Debut, Solid Performance Leads To Victory Over Defending NBA Champion Spurs: Does Trade Make Mavs A Title Contender?

Does the addition of All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo make the Dallas Mavericks legitimate NBA title contenders? That's the question of the hour. What better way to answer it then by pitting the newly-minted team against the reigning champion San Antonio Spurs?

Rondo made his debut Saturday, Dec. 19, after being traded by the Boston Celtics earlier in the week in a move that brought doom and gloom upon Boston fans.

But Dallas fans are happy, especially after the Rondo-led Mavericks topped the Spurs 99-93, according to USA Today.

Rondo was his usual versatile self, scoring six points and adding nine assists and seven rebounds. He entered the game averaging 10.8 assists per game, a category in which he led the league from 2011-13.

On a recent ESPN poll, 74 percent of readers said adding Rondo makes the Mavericks championship contenders, while just 17 percent said they were legitimate contenders already.

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant recently told ESPN that the addition of Rondo makes the Mavericks "a much, much better team."

"On top of being a great distributor and orchestrator, he's a phenomenal defensive player as well. Makes them even more lethal," Bryant said.

Rondo was integral Saturday night in setting up Mavericks leading scorer Monta Ellis, who torched the Spurs for 38 points and 11 in the final four minutes.

The Mavericks currently sit in fifth place in the NBA's loaded Western Conference, behind upstart clubs like the Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and Portland Trailblazers. The perennial contender Los Angeles Lakers are suffering from a down season, while the Spurs are again in the playoff hunt.

On Saturday, the Spurs sat a bevy of star players like Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, according to espn.com. But that shouldn't reduce Rondo's performance. The team obviously benefitted from his addition. It remains to be seen whether that trend will continue, but we'll be watching.