Rondo's hand responding well to contact

Rajon Rondo cares not for your recovery timelines.

Just shy of four weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a broken left hand, the Boston Celtics guard took a major step forward Tuesday, when his hand responded well to contact.

"He's more ready to roll than not," head coach Brad Stevens said.

That has to be exciting news for the Celtics, as Rondo's original timeline had him out until possibly the end of November. Boston's Oct. 29 opener is just 33 days after Rondo's surgery and would easily beat the six-week minimum that was originally suggested.

If Rondo can't go, promising rookie Marcus Smart is set to draw the starting nod, thus far proving himself more worthy than the Point Guard Evan Turner Experiment. Smart has drawn rave reviews from Stevens, averaging 8.4 points and 4.6 assists with tenacious defense over eight preseason games.