Jan 24, 2013; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo (9) brings the ball up court during the third quarter against the New York Knicks at TD Banknorth Garden. The New York Knicks won 89-86. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

Rajon Rondo was seen in the Celtics team shootaround before last night’s game against the Detroit Pistons. This was a sight to behold for many Boston Celtics fans and, really, the NBA in general.

Barely two months ago, Rajon Rondo partially tore his ACL against the Atlanta Hawks. Normally, players aren’t really cleared to run drills of any sort. Seeing Rondo on the floor–in his warmups at that–was a very pleasant surprise. Take a look at the video below courtesy of Chris Foresburg of ESPN Boston:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKKjzbAl8xQ

Of course, Rondo isn’t anywhere close to playing. But seeing him on the floor has to be a very refreshing and relieving feeling for everyone in the Boston Celtic’s organization. It shows that he’s on schedule–maybe even a little ahead of time.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if he was cleared for contact within the next six to eight months. He should definitely be ready by season’s beginning next year. Dr. James Andrew’s is known to have athletes way ahead of the natural recovery schedule. And on top of that, Rondo is tough as nails.

Adding onto the good news, Gary Washburn is reporting that Kevin Garnett may be able to play on Sunday. He said that Doc Rivers said Garnett’s ankle was getting better. This comes with perfect timing as the playoffs are right around the corner.

Things are looking good for the Boston Celtics in the near future and for next season.

Jan 24, 2013; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo (9) brings the ball up court during the third quarter against the New York Knicks at TD Banknorth Garden. The New York Knicks won 89-86. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports

ESPN reports that Rajon Rondo is looking for multiple opinions on his torn ACL. About a week ago, it was reported that Rondo was Rondo would get a second opinion from James Andrews, but even with that done he’s still seeking more information.

Rondo doesn’t want to jump into surgery with his ACL and wants to do the procedure that will do the least damage. With ACL surgery, tissue must be taken or borrowed from another muscle and its used to surgically repair the ACL.

Reports say that Rondo has already  recieved the opinon from Dr. James Andrews who worked with Adrian Peterson and also worked with Robert Griffin, III on his ACL also. He’s also gotten an opinion from Vali, Colo., surgeon Dr. Richard Steadman and is also working with Celtics physician Brian McKeon.

Depending on where you take tissue from, there can be certain side effects. It can result in chronic hamstring problems, tendenitis in knees, and other knee malfunctions. Rondo is trying to be as careful as possible when performing his surgery and is looking for none other than the best to do so.

The ACL is partially torn according to Bill Duffy, Rondo’s agent, so Rondo is going to be out for the remainder of the season. However, he is expected to be ready for the beginning of training camp.

Danny Ainge had a bit more to say about the procedures that Rondo is looking at right now:

“One doctor will tell you, ‘You need to use the patella tendon,’ and another will say, ‘Basketball players who use the patella will have tendinitis when they come back,’” Ainge said. “And another doctor will say, ‘When we get in there, we’ll be able to see if we can attach the hamstring, and sometimes intertwine that with a cadaver tendon.’ There’s a lot of different methods, and I think Rajon is just trying to figure out which is best for him.”

-Via ESPN.com

The Celtics are 6-0 without Rajon, so there’s obviously no rush for him to get back. But when he does come back the Celtics want him at full strength and ready to go with as little issues as possible. Its great that he’s getting multiple opinions on his knee–being proactive is the key to making sure he has a long and healthy career.

Nov 23, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo (9) speaks with Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) during the second half at the TD Garden. The Celtics defeated the Thunder 108-100. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

These guys have a very close relationship and that hasn’t changed since Perkins went to OKC. There’s another thing that they have in common now. Both have experienced torn ACLs in their respective careers. Perkins tore his ACL in game six of the 2010 NBA Finals. That’s really where the saying “they can’t beat our starting five” came from. The Celtics insisted that if Perkins had played in game seven, they would’ve had two championships in Garnett’s tenure instead of just one.

Perkins talked to the Boston Globe about how he’s been in contact with Rondo. He said that he’s going to Rondo’s home in Kentucky to visit him and make sure he’s in the right mind for what he’s about to go through.

Mentally, he has a hard time with just sitting out and probably not being able to walk for a minute and not being able to run,” Perkins said. “And just the whole rehab part of it. Mentally, he struggles with things like that

Rondo is obviously going to have a hard time being off of the floor, but he’s gotten a lot of support from players all around the NBA–not only current and former Boston Celtics. Guys like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Durant have expressed their concerns for Rondo via twitter or in personal interviews.

Hopefully the help and advice from Perkins goes a long way in Rondo’s recovery.