Expectations High For Delonte West

Posted by Brian Robb on Sep 30, 2010 998712 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2010%2F09%2F30%2Fexpectations-high-for-delonte-west%2FExpectations+High+For+Delonte+West2010-09-30+11%3A51%3A35Brian+Robbhttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D9987

He comes into camp with a myriad of issues, but don’t be fooled by the off the court stuff….the C’s are expecting valuable contributions out of the guy this year. Paul Flannery of WEEI.com comes up with a terrific column today about his road to redemption:

“I’m just happy to be given this opportunity to do what I love,” West said. “I’m lucky to be here. I’m happy to be here. I’m a soldier in Doc [Rivers'] army. Whatever he need me to do. I’ll go to war and die for this team. Playing every game, every minute this year like my life depended on it, cause it [does.] Nothing’s promised.

“I’ve been given this opportunity to prove to the NBA and the world that I’m a good person. I have a lot to prove and I don’t want to let anyone down.”

That’s a lot of pressure to put on yourself, he was told.

“No, it ain’t,” West replied immediately. “Pressure comes when you’re not prepared. Confidence comes with repetition. The key is doing one thing over and over. That’s why you see me in here now. Getting prepared so there’s no letdown this year.”

On Backup PG Duties? An interesting quote from Doc

“He’ll handle the ball more than Nate and make Nate a scorer,” Rivers said. “D-West and Nate, who’s the point guard? I don’t think either one of them [cares about the distinction] and that’s a good thing.”

Can Delonte replace TA?

“That’s where Delonte comes in,” Rivers said. “He’s a hell of a defender in his own right. Delonte’s a better shooter. He can stretch the floor. And he can run the point. Tony Allen’s a lockdown defender. [West] will take the challenge with anybody, they’re very similar in that way. They’re both tough as nails.”

Go do yourself a favor and read the full terrific piece. West may miss the first 10 games of the season, but it’s clear how much this squad will be rely on the troubled veteran this year to help stabilize a bench backcourt that remained in flux for the remainder of last season. To these guys, Delonte is a sure thing, a known and proven commodity and on a team making one or two last gasps to win it all, players like that are invaluable.