Rajon Rondo is considerably better when he wears a headband

Players of all sports are superstitious, basketball players included. Think about a player's pregame routine, or their demeanor at the free throw line. It's all about repetition. It's about developing a consistency that leads to success. But sometimes, despite the routine, players struggle.

Rajon Rondo is a perfect example. He's had some very good games in his short stint as a Dallas Maverick, as well as some pretty bad games. Here's a breakdown of his basic game-by-game stats.

So some games stand out. The Celtics and Kings games are probably his two best, while his outings against the Clippers and Grizzlies probably stand out as two of his worst. Now, Dallas is 11-5 since Rondo came aboard (11-4 in games Rondo has played). He needed some time to adjust, and probably still needs more time to get fully comfortable (see: Chandler Parsons). But, there's a very clear trend developing already. I started noticing it when our fearless leader tweeted this, about a month ago.

Rondo w/out headband: 11 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 38% shooting Rondo w/ headband: 21 points, 7 assists, 8 rebounds, 59% shooting

— Tim Cato (@tim_cato) December 27, 2014

Interesting. But it's probably just one of those things that will balance out over time, right? Maybe. But let's take a closer look. Below are the six games where Rondo has worn a headband.

So, he's averaging about 12 points, 9.5 boards and seven assists per game, is shooting at a 44% clip and is protecting the ball well. The Mavs are also 5-1 in games where Rondo wears a headband. If you'll notice, those are all (except for the assists) pretty substantially better than his overall averages. On the other hand, look at what happens when he doesn't wear a headband.

I mean, that's a dramatic drop in almost every category. He's averaging almost three points and four rebounds less, per game, while his shooting percentage plummets seven percent.This is all despite the fact that his best game as a Maverick happened sans headband.

It's interesting though, that his assist numbers tick up slightly. Perhaps he realizes that he's not going to have a good shooting night, so he looks to facilitate more. Meanwhile, Dallas is 6-3 when Rondo doesn't wear a headband. Here's a final tally.

So Rajon, please keep wearing your dang headband.