What Delonte's Return Means
The prodigal son has returned! Delonte West was one of the most beloved Celtics in the pre-Big 3 era. He was an excellent shooter with high basketball IQ that played with reckless abandon that you can't help but appreciate. Of course he was also inconsistent and frequently injured because of that reckless abandon. Oh yeah, and it didn't hurt that he was perhaps the most quotable Celtic since Kevin McHale.
He became a trade chip that helped us land Ray Allen and was later shipped to the Cleveland LeBrons, and thus became the enemy. But it never felt right rooting against him. When they won, the silver lining was that Delonte (and later Leon Powe) would benefit from it.
Of course the problem is that Delonte also has had his share of issues. From problems with the law to emotional disorders to rumors about his private life. For the most part, I couldn't help but watch from afar and shake my head and say a little prayer for him. My impression of him is that he never meant anyone any harm (though loaded guns seem to imply the opposite) but he clearly needed help.
He managed to get things together long enough to contribute to the Cavs last year, but with LeBron taking his talents to South Beach, Delonte became expendable cap fodder.
So he returns to Boston with his share of baggage and a non-guaranteed contract. Which follows suit with Danny Ainge's summer of reloading with contracts that maintain future flexibility. On talent alone, he's worth much more than a minimum non-guaranteed contract, so as long as he can hold it together and focus on basketball, he's a bargain and a half. If not, then the team can simply cut bait and wish him well.
He would appear to fit right into the backup 2 position (perhaps pushing Von Wafer down the depth chart) and this move presumably takes the roster to 15 bodies. Gaffney and Lafayette would appear most likely to be cut after camp.
Assuming no further changes to the roster, the team will be relying heavily on Marquis Daniels to back up Paul Pierce. If there was an injury to Paul or Marquis (not a stretch by any means), you don't have a lot of options other than to go small or give Harangody some time at the 3. I suppose you could always bring in Coach Scalabrine on a 10 day contract, but then you'd have to cut someone.
Still, the moves that Ainge has made have certainly added depth to a team that needed more talent on the bench. And if nothing else, a bench featuring Nate Robinson, Delonte West, Glen Davis, and Shaquille O'Neal has got to be the most entertaining 2nd unit in the league.
My hope and belief is that Delonte will benefit from a return to his first pro team and a more mature locker room environment. He'll be humbled and hungry to prove himself on a team that is looking towards a return trip to the Finals. If not, then there's always Von Wafer.
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i believe it'll help ~
he’s familiar with playing alongside #34, etc.
~ i’m on board the three wheel ride now – hopefully it works out
Don't fake the funk on a nasty dunk
Po knows!
I’ll be interested if the Celtics insiders can get the truth about the rumor now that he’s back with the team.
“Inquiring minds want to know”!
by nba is the worst on Sep 1, 2010 6:50 PM EDT up reply actions
It's not that it needs guards ...
it needs shooters, guys who, if not great three-point shooters, are at least average from 3 and solid from the midrange, and West fits that bill. The two biggest needs last season, in my view, were lack of bigs, and lack of shooters. Boston now has Shaq and JO to help with the former, and West and Wafer to help with the latter. Most people focused on the poor rebounding — which was a legit issue — but the lack of good outside (even midrange) shooters was just about as big a problem; when Ray and Paul were out, there was little to stretch the floor until Nate joined the team late in the season — TA was horrible on 3s and even from midrange, and Quis wasn’t much better. Now the Cs have Nate, West and Wafer to stretch the floor for the bench. Yeah, if Pierce goes down, the Cs could be in trouble, but I guess you can only do so much preparing. At least Ainge has addressed the two biggest needs from last season.
by rocknrollforyoursoul on Sep 1, 2010 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions
I’ll tell you what it REALLY means…
“Who’s your Daddy?” chants at the Garden when LeBron comes to town. :)
by 18isGREATERthan72 on Sep 1, 2010 6:57 PM EDT reply actions
What it means?
It means that Danny hasn’t changed, and that once he falls in love with a player, he never falls out of love. I’m just glad he brought back Delonte, not Telfailure or Robert Swift.
It also amounts to Danny saying: “The Rudy deal isn’t going to happen (Portland is impossible to deal with.) and I’m not actually happy with Wafer (Since he plays no D.), so I’m going to give Delonte a shot, and may the better man win.”
I’d say it’s a Delonte/Wafer battle, and will not affect my boy Semi’s roster spot at all.
"People don't understand, if you can't live the rest of your life off one year in the NBA, you can't live off 21." -- Keon Clark
I would say he doesn't fall out
of love with those at actually have talent.
"Do you know that nonbelievers create the most positive energy?" Davis said
you mean your boy Semih Conscious Erden??? hahahaha LOL
eeyore eeyore eeyore……maybe now that MY BOY Delonte is back he and Semh can become friends and we call you boy Semih Automatic
Peace
Is it Soup Yet?
What more do you expect
He scored 10 points, pulled down 6 rebounds (3 offensive) and had a blocked shot without committing a single turnover in 19 minutes of play.
You know that old Johnny Cash song
“A Boy Named Sue”? If he had been Turkish, he woulda called it “A Boy Named Semi.”
"People don't understand, if you can't live the rest of your life off one year in the NBA, you can't live off 21." -- Keon Clark
Glad he's back...
I love DWest’s hustle & heart. But he was injury prone before his issues came to light. He’s a career backup, but a good one.
west vs daniels
why is daniels considered so high? this guy is a bum! he couldn’t hit the rim if he was standing on it. delonte west is a great shooter, great driver to the bucket and good defender. you bring him in behind rondo, allen etc..first, not after daniels. i wish daniels
wasn’t signed after last year, he sucks and he is injury prone and doesn’t play hard!
delonte should be first in as a backup, period!
He had one bad year.
Granted, it was really bad, but still. Did you watch him in Indiana? How about in Dallas? Do you know anything about him other than what you saw last year?
The guys got talent, he obviously struggled last year, but’s he’s no scrub, the guy can play.
delonte doesnt play the three
As a previous post says Daniels plays small forward and Delonte doesn’t – he’s a shooting guard or point guard and believe it or not we need Marquis to play big next year because there is nobody else there – aside from Scal the second who I have no faith in unless proven otherwise
by BigPerk43 on Sep 1, 2010 7:48 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Well, good thing...
Scal isn’t on our team anymore. One less worry for ya.
Quite frankly ...
I think Harangody’s gonna put Scal to shame as a pro.
by rocknrollforyoursoul on Sep 1, 2010 11:32 PM EDT up reply actions
As well as about 45 of the guys
who were selected before him, and 29 GMs.
"People don't understand, if you can't live the rest of your life off one year in the NBA, you can't live off 21." -- Keon Clark
Hopefully this means...
that the Rudy fiasco has finally come to a close. I can’t stand the guy’s attitude. His talent did not earn him the playing time and it’s not like he would have had a much larger role here. Welcome back, DW – your defense and shooting fill 2 needs. Who do we currently have that better foots the bill to back up Ray?
True and I believe it does
close the book on Rudy and thankfully so.
"Do you know that nonbelievers create the most positive energy?" Davis said
Quite a few of us liked Delonte because of his hustle and his more consistent moments. Quite a few were frustrated with him.
It remains to be seen what he’s truly learned away from the Celtics that can help this team. And I hope that there are ways that this team can help Delonte.
by Thruthelookingglass on Sep 1, 2010 8:27 PM EDT reply actions
I really hope for Delonte's sake that he matures and stays focused
he’s got to know that he has talent and that he can have a good NBA career, no need to throw all that away. hope he has a great support system around him.
That being said, everything is in place, no more speculations about personnel, the club can start focusing on the play book and team chemistry. There are plenty of vets to take up the minutes and the rookies will have plenty of time to learn the system. This team has got the talent, if they take care of chemistry and health, we’ll have a good shot at the finals again.
Welcome back, Delonte!
Take your meds everyday, like I do, and things will…ahh….never mind. Life still blows.
- D E E P
P G – Rondo , Robinson , Bradeley
S G – Ray , West , Wafer
S F – Pierce , Daniels
P F – Garnett , Davis , Harangody
C – J. Oneal , S. Oneal , Perk , Erden
Can we say D A N G E R lol I feel bad for the rest of the league .
by fRANKZILa 2 1 on Sep 1, 2010 8:44 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
Agree
Danny has built a very deep and talented team…
Once Perk comes back and if Rasheed pulls a PG Brown next spring (as is rumored) this team will be stacked heading into the playoffs next spring and will be very hard matchup for opposing teams to deal with.
Also agree
This could be the deepest team of the New Big Three era.
by rocknrollforyoursoul on Sep 1, 2010 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions
wafer is 6'5 right?
he can probably play some 3 if needed with west ,
nate
west
wafer
baby
shaq
thats basically a score every time down
Imagine how many good looks nate, west and wafer will have ...
if they’re on the floor with Baby and Shaq. Awesome. Lights out.
by rocknrollforyoursoul on Sep 1, 2010 11:34 PM EDT up reply actions
What does it Mean that Delonte is back
It means I need to figure out a way to get an interview with Delonte
Is it Soup Yet?
Just make sure
you wear your Kevlar vest.
"People don't understand, if you can't live the rest of your life off one year in the NBA, you can't live off 21." -- Keon Clark
Excellent Shooter?? NO
His career FG% is 44%, which is not excellent. He also can ONLY go left, and can’t dribble past anyone. If we wanted someone who couldn’t dribble past anyone but can spot up shoot we already have it (Von Wafer). Or how about that “he’s ready to play great defense in the NBA” Bradley kid?
It amazes me that people are so hard on the attitudes and decisions of other NBA players but they give Delonte West a free pass when he committed one of the stupidest crimes of any NBA player in the past decade. Bipolar or not, the crime was committed, and it looks bad on him and an organization.
There are few people in the league that you would pick knowing that they carry a ton of baggage and run the risk of getting your team in the news for some crime, and a role-player (Delonte) is certainly not one of them.
Delonte's contract isn't even guaranteed yet
Please, what is this talk about a risk?
I'm not the biggest Delonte fan around (my personal reaction was 'meh').
But that ‘44%’ number is not a very good indicator that West is or is not an excellent shooter. I’m not gonna say that he’s an ‘excellent shooter’ – he’s definitely not – but that FG% is not telling us that.
J.J. Redick only had a FG% of 43.9% but he IS an excellent shooter. So is Chauncy Billups, who only posted a 41.8% FG%.
Let’s correct some things:
1) Delonte’s career FG% is actually 44.6%. Last I learned in school, that rounds up to 45%.
2) The FG% by itself doesn’t tell us how good a shooter Delonte is because perimeter guards take more low-percentage shots (i.e. 3PT attempts) than interior players. The trade off is that they are worth more.
3) Better numbers that rollup the different shooting types and zones are True Shooting % (roll-up efficiency rating for 2-pt, 3-pt and free throw shots) and eFG% (similar, but weights 3PT shots more than 2-pt shots). Also, one should look at his 3PT% and FT% shooting in isolation, since those are available. Delonte posts the following career numbers:
FG% .446
TS% .538
eFG% .501
3PT% .373
FT% .818
The next question is: How good are these?
I did a search of guards last year who posted 3+ 3PT attemtps per 36 minutes last year as a comparable ‘peer group’ to Delonte’: That is here.
Delonte is not listed because he didn’t play enough this last year and didn’t cross the 3+ 3PA threshold, but you can still sort the table and see for yourself where he sits in with his peers.
Basically, when you look at the peer group, Delonte’ is very much in the middle of the pack. Decent. Not bad. Not excellent. Just decent.
His DRtg (pts surrendered per 100 possessions) is above average for his peers, as are his rebounding numbers.
If he has his head together, he could be a decent bench player. That said, I’m not sure I’m overly fond of this signing. I can feel sorry for Delonte because he has legitimate ‘issues’. But I don’t know why that merits more sympathy – or consideration for a shot on an NBA team – over many other ‘decent’ players in the league. Guys who haven’t pulled the same stupid stunts. Tom has a legitimate point.
Oh well – it is apparently not a guaranteed contract and we’ll just have to see how it plays out.
This is shaping up to be an interesting year.
I disagree with TomHamilton
Delonte will is now currently our best guard off the bench. I think why he gets a “free pass” on the gun incident is he was not endangering anyone but himself. As self-destructive as his behavior was, one can hope he gets his act together because it seems as though his heart is in the right place.
Here’s what I wrote on my blog about him, his past, and his future. Personally, I’m excited to have him back.
Delonte .445 FG, Kobe .455
And playoff Kobe vs Celtics just .405.
Stupid crime, but didn’t hurt anyone but him.
by nba is the worst on Sep 1, 2010 9:14 PM EDT reply actions
Signing Daniels for a minimum contract is a steal.....
The C’s should consider themslves lucky for getting a player of Delontes caliber at such a bargain basement price.
He will add young legs off the bench along with Nate and will give the C’s a solid shooter, ball handler and defender.
Opposing teams will have trouble when Nate and Delonte are playing off the bench together since both players can push the ball up the court (which will lead to alot of easy transition points).
Also since both Nate and Delonte can shoot the ball so well from outside it will when the 2nd unit plays open the low post for the rest of the 2nd unit players like Shaq – Jermaine, Daniels and Baby to score alot easier in the paint.
Delonte, Shaq, Daniels, Nate and Wafer for peanuts ...
Excellent work by DA.
by rocknrollforyoursoul on Sep 1, 2010 11:36 PM EDT up reply actions
We're paying Nate
market rate, I think about $5MM per.
The Shaq deal, however, is a near-miracle.
"People don't understand, if you can't live the rest of your life off one year in the NBA, you can't live off 21." -- Keon Clark
I'd rather have Wafer
More athletic. Right now this team isn’t good enough defensively. and if Pierce or Marquis go down, they’re screwed against teams with athletic 3’s who can score.
Personally I think Danny is loading up to make a deal.
Welcome back Delonte!
It’s good to see you in green again! Now just make sure that you got your head straight and you’ll be a good role player on this team!
i can't believe this happened
he was my favorite celtic when he was traded away and since then ive always tried to imagine scenarios where he would be coming back to boston via crazy 3 team trades. Delonte is back to claim his rightful role as utility bench man, clutch shooter, and awe inspiring hustle play maker
by milt palacio's shot on Sep 1, 2010 11:20 PM EDT reply actions
Wiyaaaaaa hangaaaaaah is back
doubleplusungoodthinker
It means a short stay for West
If things work out for both sides, West will want more $$ or move on after 1 yr. If things do not work out, he will be waived after 1 year.
Trade in the works
If Danny knew Delonte was the bonafide player is capable of being, then I say there was a trade in the works. Something like BBD, another guard (Ray Allen?)and a number 1… but for who? Ideally, Camelo Anthony… but that’s not going to happen. Plus, he’s most interested in going with the Knicks.
Realistically, Danny just wants to kick the tires to find out if Delonte’s heart and mind are still on basketball. He’d be a great addition if he can bounce back.
Edgar must be thrilled
Considering that Edgar managed to mention Delonte every three minutes in the CB chat room the past three years, even thought DW wasn’t on the team anymore, I expect his Delonte talk to be quite overwhelming this season.
I really hate Delonte as a starter on a contending team, but love him as a minvet bench player. great bargain singing (again) by DA.
Crack Cocaine
Was in DC in late july and spoke to a local bball connect who knows Delonte personally. He said what he heard was that Delonte was involved with drugs. I said, “we all know he smokes.” He said, “No, I mean crack.” I was shocked, but it’s not totally out of the question considering his behavior with guns strapped to his back inside a guitar case while riding his motorcycle, the depression, etc. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a hater. Delonte remains my favorite NBA player for his hustle, decision making, as well as his ability to block shots and do all the little things.
I think being in Boston will help him tremendously. Coming back here will refocus Delonte. I think it is a great move both for the Celtics and for West. I’m a little disappointed that we won’t see Avery Bradley as much, but this signing just makes us such a deep team.
I think Danny looks for effort – it is a Celtics tradition, going back to Russell and Havlicek. People express their passion in different ways, and I think Delonte needs to be with other people who know how to focus this passion into a constructive direction.
I always liked Delonte’s effort. I think he is going to show us how much it means for him to be with winners, from 1-15.
good move
the kids bi polar its a real deal thing but he got his meds………..aside from that i love him he was lebrons only help in the playoffs the kid shows up he isnt scared hell of a player good move. now cut erden and keep that roster spot open if you can if not i’m cool with what we have
Come back might be what he needs
His issues started after he left. Celtics fans have shown him nothing but love. He’s never hurt any team in the locker room and on the court.
I can’t wait to see him back on the floor in a Celtics uniform.
ive been looking at this as a bad move so i'll try and be positive
delonte is decent ball handler, passer, shooter and defender and can play 2 positions…..
gives bradley at least a few extra months to develope, learn, etc…..
i might get to see erden, harangody and bradley play here in Maine :)
maybe just maybe, wafer and daniels will prove that they can play consistant offensively and learnt o play good defense.
either way, if we get to the finals, if we win it all, i wont care if it’s delonte, bradley or sam cassell
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
im gonna be all up on you like a spider monkey!
i can just see delonte west winning a game of poker against lebron, throwing down the cards he yells, "who's your daddy!"...."oh, sorry man"
by remembering9ergods on Sep 2, 2010 10:38 AM EDT reply actions
Maine bound.
I think you will see those 3 spend time in the D-league. There’s just not going to be any playing time for them in this team. Honestly, when the 12th man down on your depth chart is… Von Wafer, a former 6-man who’s averaged almost 10 ppg and has play off experience, how the hell do you think a rookie is going to see the court.
They might keep Bradley around, till Perk gets back. Because with Perk in street clothes, Bradley can suit up as the 12th man, and maybe see a few minutes. But once he’s back, I don’t see them suiting bradley up over West, Wafer, or Robinson, so expect him to be D-league bound until the playoffs.
Free Pass?
I wouldn’t give West a free pass and I doubt the Celtics will either. The charges against him were serious, especially someone diagnosed as bipolar and off his meds. He was lucky to get off that easily.
I’m guessing the C’s will monitor him closely and if he causes problems or can’t overcome his issues, they’ll cut him.
That said, I hope he works out. He could be a great player off the bench.
NOW WE NEED A 3 BAD!
I still believe we need to make one more move dont get me wrong i love the team we have right now but we need a good backup 3 for pierce because i reallly dont like that marquis is our primary backup. Jeff made a great point what would happen if pierce or marquis went down we would be screwed…so i still say we should throw baby in a trade for a good wingman or maybe the rookies cuz lets be real as much as i like bradley and want to see him in green for the future we all no doc doesnt like to play rookies!
by beantownballer34 on Sep 2, 2010 10:43 AM EDT reply actions
I agree, and Danny hasn't ruled out a trade.
I just don’t think it happens in the off-season. If there’s an injury to Pierce of Daniels, they might get more drastic. But for now, Danny’s set to start the year and see what happens. Let the rookies show what they can do a bit, and West/Wafer. If both West and Wafer show they got their mental issues in check, and are viable contributors again, then they are extremely expendable on this team, and would be great trade bait if a team that is then at SG.
But that will come down the road. Maybe. It’s also possible that Daniels stays healthy and gets his form back, then it’s a moot point, because as long as he’s able to give 20 or so minutes of rest to Pierce a night, then there’s no need to make any moves.
you are all missing the most important part of this signing
every single time Lequeen james come to boston or shoots a free throw we can chant “who’s your daddy at him”.. in case some of you forgot about the alleged delonte sleeping with lebrons mom thing how awesome is that? plus the fact that we have knocked out lebron out of the playoffs two of the last 3 years gives it double meaning
you think i can get a t shirt thats says “who’s your daddy” on the front and delontes number on the back?
or " wheres...your....mom...clap....clap....clap,clap,clap"
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
im gonna be all up on you like a spider monkey!
i can just see delonte west winning a game of poker against lebron, throwing down the cards he yells, "who's your daddy!"...."oh, sorry man"
by remembering9ergods on Sep 2, 2010 11:29 AM EDT up reply actions
hahahaha
whooooo’s your daddy? clap, clap…. clap, clap, clap.. oh man, so many possibilities
by Dr.Greenthumb on Sep 2, 2010 3:49 PM EDT up reply actions
One down...one to go...
Leon!! Where are you?? When are you coming back??
with the remaining free agents...
…and with the non guaranteed contract… Daymn! I say this is another excellent deal! Guys like west and wafer… no other team really wants anything to do with them… so if you’re in that position, i guess you play your ass off to keep the job! Of course, chemistry…will always be as hard as it was back when i was in school! This definitely is the team with the most character personnel!
so, lets see, introduce Dwest to Bosh’s mom and Wade’s mom too and then they will all be so angry and distracted that we are shoe in……
On a serious note, I think Dwest can back up PP too so long as the opposing SF isn’t a big banger, but some smaller or defensive minded second string SF….and Delonte has dated that players mom
delonte doesn't do much for me
a fair 3 point shooter at best who cannot go to his right and is neither a shooting guard or a poijnt guard. tony allen is much better, but he did not want boston anymore.west is ugghhh not a hell of a lot really.
Hmmm...
Ok, well I get the issues he has with the depression/bi-polar disorder. But as a basketball player, I just don’t get that.
He was a starter, and very productive one at that for most of 2009. A pretty solid shooter from deep, and very good defender at both guards positions.
So how is Tony better? As a defender, no doubt. But he can’t shoot, can’t create offensively, and turns the ball over about 40% of the time he touches it. Tony, much as I love his heart and balls to the wall way he plays the game, is nowhere near the player that West is.
If we’re just talking defense, then maybe, but all around talent, it’s really not even close.
Overall, Delonte looks pretty average.
Tony is sub-par offensively, but way above average defensively.
So it depends on what you value off the bench. Situationally, Tony could have much, much greater value than Delonte. Or way less.
In the end, I hope we don’t have need to fret too much over the value of our deep bench. I want guys to stay healthy.
Everybody relax...
It`s merely the 2010 version of Delonte West joining the Celtics….not Jerry West of 1970!
a worthless move...
how many undersized shooting guards who arent really point guards do the Celtics need? And does this move show that Danny has already lost faith in Avery Bradley? Bradley was drafted in the top 20 to be the combo guard off the bench and good defender. With resigning Nate and now adding West, seems like overkill.
Also, Gilbert Arenas has the book thrown at him, Delonte is arrested in public armed to the teeth, and he gets a slap on the wrist. this isnt a guy we need or a guy we should want.
celtics desperately needed to help paul pierce, and get younger, more athletic. they have failed to address those areas at all. who watched this team last year and thought what they need to get that title is two very old big man who cant move, and 3 miniature shooting guards. i dont want to be negative or a pessimist, but this team is headed for a disappointing season.
Sorry i forgot to warn you that i peed in your coffee
by Warrior Spirit on Sep 3, 2010 9:26 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
woot
wanted a defensive swing but this is the 2nd best thing
boy wont lebron be mad if his mom gets a ring before he does…..
"Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."
im gonna be all up on you like a spider monkey!
i can just see delonte west winning a game of poker against lebron, throwing down the cards he yells, "who's your daddy!"...."oh, sorry man"
by remembering9ergods on Sep 3, 2010 1:18 AM EDT up reply actions
not pleased
Ok Danny your assist to turnover ratio is still high over the off season but this is a turnover! I dont get it at all! We had youth at this spot – da more bradley plays da better for him. Nate resigned right! We had cover at the guard spot. We really needed to add a SF. If anything happens Pierce we are goosed. Was hoping to be able to rest him alot this year till playoffs. We seen how worn down he was guarding lebron this year and thats with Tonys help! Daniels – come on! The best available player to suit our needs out there this summer was Barnes and da enemy landed him. Im gutted by this news. Was hoping for a wilson chandlier maybe a posey trade. But this makes no sense. Oh did we not just give even more motivation to the best player in da league!!!! not good danny
Worn down guarding Lebron and got worned down guarded by
Artest!! While Kobe had free reign guarding the smallest dude on the court. Now you hope the front court depth, arguably the best in the league on paper can offset the loss of TA and lack of wing defenders. Haven’t seen the C’s without one since 08 so not sure how that will pan out. PP would just have to step up and earn that 60 plus million contract!


























