BOSTON -- Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo is struggling at the free throw line and coach Doc Rivers openly wondered if those woes were causing his All-Star guard to be less aggressive going to the rim against the Lakers.

After a slow start to the regular season at the charity stripe (38.5 percent through November), Rondo rebounded to shoot 62.1 percent for the season. But his numbers are down for the playoffs, especially in the Finals.

Rondo is 4-of-15 (26.7 percent) from the stripe against the Lakers and 67-of-110 (60.9 percent) for the postseason. Ever since Cleveland got rough with Rondo early in the Eastern Conference semifinals, his numbers have declined. In Game 1 against the Cavaliers, he produced a 12-for-14 effort at the line, but he has struggled to shoot over 50 percent most nights since then.

Could the free throw woes, along with the presence of bigs like Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard, be affecting his ability -- and, more importantly, his desire -- to go to the basket?

"I'm always likely to go to the basket," a defiant Rondo said Saturday. "I'm going to the basket, regardless of Bynum, Dwight Howard or whoever's down there."

But even his coach said the free throw troubles might have subconsciously given Rondo pause, even if just temporarily. The Celtics are working on both the mental and physical aspects of his free throw shooting.

"We're going to work on it," Rivers said. "He knows what he's not doing, we know what he's not doing. Last summer [assistant coach] Armond [Hill] went down [and] I went down and watched him and [former NBA standout] Mark [Price] work on it. There's certain things that he has to do. Clearly the first two he was -- nothing that he can be taught, I can tell you that, he fell away, his elbow was out. The first one you could see it right away. So we'll get it back.

"But then the confidence part has to come back as well. I will say this: I was really proud of him because I thought in [Game 3] when he missed a couple, he stopped driving, and that's what happens when you miss free throws and then you don't want to get fouled anymore. I thought [Thursday] night [in Game 4], he kept taking it to the basket, and for me that was huge. That's a good sign for him."

Rondo posted a triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 assists in Boston's Game 2 triumph. He has only 21 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists over the past two games.

What's more, he hasn't shot more than five freebies in a contest since Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals against Orlando.

Rivers said his antenna went up in Game 3, but he's simply keeping an eye on Rondo's body language.

"Just in Game 3, I thought was the only game," said Rivers. "I thought he just tended not to drive more. But I thought he went right back to it. So that's how much he's grown. A year ago or two years ago, that may have been the last layup of the series and [Thursday] night in the third quarter he came out, he was aggressive, he was attacking, and that's who he has to be.

"I think he was basically saying that to himself, I'm going to go in here and get fouled and make my free throws. That might have been the best sign of [Thursday] night for me for him because that showed me that he was going to be aggressive the rest of the series. And I think, because of that, he'll be a factor the rest of the series."

Rondo conceded he was simply "OK" in Boston's Game 4 win, but noted part of that was his attempt to get captain Paul Pierce going.

"I'm not a guy that tries to get myself off," said Rondo. "If a shooter has it going, it's about sacrifice. Paul had it going early and we thought he had a matchup and took advantage. I don't really care. Regardless of how bad I played, we got the win."

Chris Forsberg is a regular contributor to the Daily Dime.

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