SQ #32--Delonte, Really?

Summer Quandaries #32
Sept 1—29 Days to camp

Delonte, Really?

The Delonte sightings meter has been pegged this week. On the surface it seems like a bad fit. Point guard position already four deep led by a rising young star who has been the team leader in minutes. Two guard is four deep counting Bradley and Daniels, five if you want to include Gaffney who would be a nasty defender for tall shooting guards with his height and mobility. And its not like West is going to put in a few minutes at small forward where most observers feel the Celtics still have a need. But there are a few lines of reasoning that suggest there may be some flame amidst all this smoke and mirrors.

Danny has talked of adding a shooter, Delonte certainly fits the description. Doc preaches defense, West is a tenacious on-the-ball defender and provides opportunistic and heady help off the ball. If you examine the head-case potential on this team, Von Wafer and Nate Robinson are prime suspects. Each would be eligible for trade on December 15, about two or three weeks after Delonte would come off the suspended list. Suspended for his own head-case issues but in Delonte’s case it appears to be mostly self destructive as opposed to the type of team/coach/time/play conflicts that have made Von and Nate persona non grata at their prior stays. Well except for the whole bedding the star teammate’s mom thing, which has too many soap opera resonations to be worthy of discussion. I’m not saying D&D won’t clear the air with Delonte on this subject but I’m not dipping my keyboard/pen into that particular septic tank. Like some of the other “bad boys” Delonte has left home, found some rocky times outside the shelter of the Celtics club, and hopefully learned some lessons and arrives a chastened man eager to turn over a new leaf.


Well there is my two cents worth. Delonte brings some tried skills, apparently is on his medication for his cognitive issues, and should be highly motivated to rehabilitate his career. Bring him to camp on a make good contract, and I’m talking about multiple steps with a small portion for being on the roster Oct. 26, somewhat more when he is actually available to play, another step on Dec. 16, and the rest of the vet min becoming guaranteed only on Jan. 11 or so when all contracts become guaranteed for the season. If it works then Danny has no qualms about cutting Von Wafer if he isn’t fully with the program, he has options to trade either Nate or Von on Dec. 15 if he sees a need elsewhere, and he buys some insurance if Bradley is slow to come back from the ankle injury that has kept him off the court thus far.

One small note for all both of the readers who have come to look for this column during these dog days of the off season, I will be traveling for the next couple of weeks and may be unable to reach the internet occasionally. I think I’ll be able to make a post each day but just in case I slip a day—I’ll be back.