Celtics GM Danny Ainge: Rajon Rondo may not return until December

The Celtics are determined not to rush Rajon Rondo's return following ACL surgery. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Celtics general manager Danny Ainge said Tuesday he would be "shocked" if Rajon Rondo is ready to play in the Celtics' season opener. Ainge said Rondo may not be ready to play until December.

Ainge told an ESPN radio audience the Celtics are assessing Rondo's status on a week-to-week basis and he did not set a timetable for the point guard's return.

A Celtics tweet quoted Ainge saying: "We won't succumb to the pressures of bringing a player back [from an ACL injury] too early."

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Avery Bradley and Phil Pressey will handle the Celtics' point guard duties until Rondo is ready.

Rondo is recovering from surgery he underwent in January to repair a torn ACL. CSN New England reported last week it seemed likely Rondo will miss the Celtics’ preseason and some regular-season games, as Ainge's comments now appear to confirm.

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