C’s Waive Oliver Lafayette

Posted by Brian Robb on Sep 24, 2010 994811 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2010%2F09%2F24%2Fcs-waive-oliver-lafayette%2FC%27s+Waive+Oliver+Lafayette+2010-09-25+01%3A17%3A13Brian+Robbhttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D9948

The news comes by way of The Boston Herald:

Lafayette played just one game with the Celtics last season, scoring seven points in 22 minutes in a 106-95 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on April 14.

With the offseason signings of such players as guard Delonte West, the Celtics decided to let go the 6-foot-2, 195-pound guard from the University of Houston to give Lafayette an opportunity to latch on with another team during the preseason.

Really classy move by Danny Ainge here. The C’s signed Lafayette last April, landing a top NBDL prospect on the early side in order to get him acclimated to the team during the playoffs, while also landing a guy who had a decent job of making the team (back then) signed for camp this year, on a non-guaranteed deal.

As we all know though, things changed quickly this offseason. Avery Bradley was drafted, Nate Robinson re-signed, Delonte West was picked up off the scrap heap. The point guard position position that was once lacking any real insurance off the bench, became arguably the deepest position on the roster. Once West signed, the chances of Lafayette making this talented 15 man crew turned from slim to none. The writing was on the wall.

So give credit to the Celtics for giving Lafayette a chance to make it elsewhere, even before training camp started. They were under no obligation to do it, but clearly did the youngster a favor by letting him latch on somewhere else before next week, on a team where he has an actually shot to make the cut.

To the same degree, you feel bad for a guy like Tony Gaffney, who was signed at the same time as Lafayette last April. While Gaffney has his work cut out for him to make this team, he at least plays a position at the 3 where the team is sorely lacking depth. And that’s without even mentioning Marquis Daniels fragile injury history. Gaffney at least has a shot to make the cut next month. Lafayette’s dream in Boston is over before it even started.

Don’t be fooled, Lafayette has some game, looked terrific in the regular season finale last year, and was maybe the team’s second best player at Summer League in Orlando. There was just no way he was going to make this roster. Best of luck to the guy.

Highlights of Lafayette’s brief detour in Beantown, after the jump