By all accounts, Rajon Rondo is a stubborn, hard-headed dude with enough confidence to fill the TD Garden from floor to rafters. But he’s not beyond reaching out to his more experienced teammates for advice, and, thankfully, he’s listening when they tell him not to rush his injury. (CSNNE)

“I’m taking a lot of advice from a lot of different people and they’re pretty much telling me the same thing,” he said. “They played this game – Danny (Ainge), Kevin (Garnett) – and (Celtics trainer) Ed Lacerte has been here for 20 years so he knows what he’s talking about. So I just try to take advice from people who are telling me if you can’t do certain things, you shouldn’t play.

“It still hasn’t clicked with me, but I just listen to people who say I can’t play. It’s just going to be one of those days I just get up and I play. It’s not going to be when I’m back to 100% ready to play. It’s just whenever I feel like I can go and I have no restrictions.”

Celtic players often have a clash between intelligence and their own will to play. Do you think Rondo wanted to play against New Orleans and Chris Paul? Rondo would have given his left kneecap to play in that game. But he’s biding his time and listening to his trainer, GM and teammates. Just one more step in Rondo’s maturation.

The All-Star point guard told the Boston Herald his return is day to day.

“Maybe (tomorrow), maybe Monday, maybe Chicago (Jan. 8),” he said.

No matter how much time he takes off, Rondo believes his nagging injuries will remain with him all season.

“They’re fine right now,” Rondo added of ongoing problems with his left hamstring and a chronic case of plantar fasciitis. “But those only get triggered when I play. I’ll be dealing with them all year.”

Cue the January swoon, folks. I hope the C’s prove me wrong.