Mavs didn't let him play probably because of his disagreements with coach Carlisle
But also he didn't fit well into the system
He was a ball dominant, pass first, second, third PG that couldn't shoot
Mavis system is based on ball movement, everyone except Tyson chandler can create their own shot and playmake
By having rondo in, the ball movement stops and their offense becomes predictable
This doesn't play well with their teams strength of having multiple playmakers
Defensively he has clearly declined and become less disciplined by taking more gambles
Rondo is a good player but he needs to be in the right system for him to work
Unfortunately for rondo not many coaches are willing to play the way rondo fits best in
We saw doc use rondo to his best
And Stevens needed to fit rondo into his own system to take care of the teams star as it is a star ruled league where coaches can get fired by not catering to the team's star player