Rondo: Playing with Bulls not what I anticipated

Rajon Rondo hasn't seen the court since playing an unproductive 10 minutes in the Chicago Bulls' loss to the Indiana Pacers on Dec. 30 - not even on his own bobblehead night.

He's been benched in favor of Michael Carter-Williams, Jerian Grant, and Isaiah Canaan for the past four games, and the Bulls have gone 3-1, with wins over the two top teams in the East: Cleveland and Toronto. Chicago seems to be firing on all cylinders, even with Rondo and head coach Fred Hoiberg not seeing eye to eye.

The two have reportedly only said a few words to each other since the initial benching 13 days ago, so the point guard has confided in other staff members.

"I got a slight explanation from another guy on the staff. A guy told me that (Hoiberg) was saving me from myself," Rondo told the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson. "Save me from myself. I never heard that before in my life. But I guess he was trying to do the best thing for me."

His response to the "saving me from myself" assertion? "I thought it was bulls--t."

Rondo also said that what he's experienced with the Bulls isn't what he expected when signing a two-year, $27-million deal in July.

"When I signed here, why I wanted to come here, it's a lot different than what I anticipated," he said, adding, "You're only as good as your coach thinks you are. That's a big part of each individual's success in the NBA."