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Do IT this week: Layering
By George M. Thomas
Beacon Journal staff writer
POSTED: 08:02 a.m. EDT, May 14, 2009
INDEPENDENCE: Delonte West threw down three rim-rattling dunks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.
The final one was LeBron-esque, as West dashed along the baseline and finished with a windmill-style slam.
It might have surprised Cavaliers fans and a national-television audience, but it didn't surprise those who know West, a 6-foot-3 guard out of St. Joseph's in Philadelphia.
Known for his gutsy style of play that includes a smooth outside shot and the ability to drive to the hoop, West had an outstanding season after re-signing with the Cavs last summer. He averaged 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals while emerging as a viable option in the Cavs' offense and arguably their second-best player on defense.
His performance has carried over to the playoffs and his numbers have improved. West is averaging 13.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
''I don't think it's any secret,'' West said. ''It's just hard work I put in over the summer. The team made an investment in me this summer and I put the work in and bounced back from the bad season I had from the prior year.''
Cavs assistant coach Mike Malone knows what West can do on the court. On the Cavs' coaching staff, Malone has known him the longest — since West's days at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Md. — and probably knows him best.
''I was coaching at Manhattan College at the time and I fell in love with him,'' Malone said. ''The reason I fell in love with him wasn't because he was a jump shooter or he's this or that. It was his makeup. And to me, it's Delonte's toughness inside, the mental toughness he has, the physical toughness and just the competitive nature.''
West said Malone is the one who saw his potential.
''He told me I was going to be a pro,'' West said ''I couldn't see it, but he could.''
How tough and competitive is he?
Malone tells a story about when he was recruiting West. He was actually there to look at another player, but West caught his eye.
''I remember going to watch him play summer basketball games and he's taking charges on outdoor courts,'' Malone said.
West is a throwback in that he doesn't concentrate on one aspect of his game. He usually guards the opposing team's best player if LeBron James isn't already there.
Even after the Cavs signed him in the summer, he wasn't the obvious choice to start at shooting guard. Coach Mike Brown generally likes his players big and strong, and a backcourt with West and a 6-2 Mo Williams didn't fit the bill. West is deceptively strong, but no one will ever confuse him with being big.
''You look at Delonte for one, and you don't really think he can play basketball,'' James said. ''When he's on the court, you don't think he's as athletic as he is, also.''
At the outset of training camp, most people believed that Sasha Pavlovic and Wally Szczerbiak would contend for the shooting guard spot.
''I thought Sasha and Wally would battle for the two spot and I thought Delonte would be the backup point guard,'' James said. ''But when [Brown] started him, I thought it was going to be a challenge for both of them.
''But it's been great. Delonte is an unbelievable defensive player and he and Mo complement each other a great deal in the backcourt.''
Indeed, the tandem averaged close to 30 points a game during the regular season and, although they struggled initially in the playoffs, they appear to have hit their groove.
General Manager Danny Ferry first suggested that West be given a shot at the shooting guard position. Brown was skeptical, but became a quick convert.
''After understanding Delonte's toughness, his length, his athleticism and his toughness, that equates to him being 6-foot-6,'' Brown said.
The job he did on the Detroit Pistons' Richard ''Rip'' Hamilton and the Atlanta Hawks' Joe Johnson is proof.
West, with occasional help, held Hamilton to 13.3 points per game in the Cavs' opening series against the Pistons, a full five points off his season average. He did the same to Johnson, holding him to 16.4 points per game.
Add Dimitri West, Delonte's father, to the list of people not surprised by what he's done this season. West had similar numbers when he played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 2004-07. He can play both guard positions, but left St. Joseph's playing shooting guard, his natural spot.
''Actually, you're seeing what he's capable of doing during the season when things fall in place in the order he belongs on the team,'' Dimitri West said. ''When they need him to score and play better, that's what he's doing.''
Given that the Cavs' game plan is predicated on defense, it's scary to think of what might have been. During training camp, West left unexpectedly. Wisely, the team allowed him to handle the situation in his way.
Upon his return, West revealed that he was, and still is, being treated for a mood disorder. Before West's absence, Brown had liked what he'd seen and did not penalize him for his absence.
Some might say that dealing with his issue helped West this season, but his father disagrees.
''It doesn't make you a strong person in order to deal with your own feelings,'' Dimitri West said. ''That's different than someone walking around keeping it in their pocket, then you know there's something really wrong with them.''
Delonte West agreed, saying that before he's a basketball player, he's just Delonte.
''I go through things like anyone else. I guess anyone who's in therapy who talks about it says it helps. I tried something different and it's been pretty good for me,'' he said.
To his teammates, none of that matters.
''If you know Delonte, you love him. If you don't know him, you probably won't like him because you don't understand him,'' James said. ''Being around him all the time, he's great person, a great guy.
''I'm happy for him. He's back to playing basketball at a high level and being happy about it.''
LeBron All-NBA
LeBron James keeps racking up the honors for his play during the regular season. James was a unanimous selection to the All-NBA first team for the third time in his career as voted by a panel of 122 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the U.S. and Canada.
He is just the eighth player since the media began voting began for All-NBA teams in the 1981-82 season to be selected unanimously. He joins Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic), Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat) on the first team.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohio.com/thomas. Follow Cavs coverage on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cavsabj
INDEPENDENCE: Delonte West threw down three rim-rattling dunks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday night.
The final one was LeBron-esque, as West dashed along the baseline and finished with a windmill-style slam.
It might have surprised Cavaliers fans and a national-television audience, but it didn't surprise those who know West, a 6-foot-3 guard out of St. Joseph's in Philadelphia.
Known for his gutsy style of play that includes a smooth outside shot and the ability to drive to the hoop, West had an outstanding season after re-signing with the Cavs last summer. He averaged 11.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.5 steals while emerging as a viable option in the Cavs' offense and arguably their second-best player on defense.
His performance has carried over to the playoffs and his numbers have improved. West is averaging 13.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
''I don't think it's any secret,'' West said. ''It's just hard work I put in over the summer. The team made an investment in me this summer and I put the work in and bounced back from the bad season I had from the prior year.''
Cavs assistant coach Mike Malone knows what West can do on the court. On the Cavs' coaching staff, Malone has known him the longest — since West's days at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in Greenbelt, Md. — and probably knows him best.
''I was coaching at Manhattan College at the time and I fell in love with him,'' Malone said. ''The reason I fell in love with him wasn't because he was a jump shooter or he's this or that. It was his makeup. And to me, it's Delonte's toughness inside, the mental toughness he has, the physical toughness and just the competitive nature.''
West said Malone is the one who saw his potential.
''He told me I was going to be a pro,'' West said ''I couldn't see it, but he could.''
How tough and competitive is he?
Malone tells a story about when he was recruiting West. He was actually there to look at another player, but West caught his eye.
''I remember going to watch him play summer basketball games and he's taking charges on outdoor courts,'' Malone said.
West is a throwback in that he doesn't concentrate on one aspect of his game. He usually guards the opposing team's best player if LeBron James isn't already there.
Even after the Cavs signed him in the summer, he wasn't the obvious choice to start at shooting guard. Coach Mike Brown generally likes his players big and strong, and a backcourt with West and a 6-2 Mo Williams didn't fit the bill. West is deceptively strong, but no one will ever confuse him with being big.
''You look at Delonte for one, and you don't really think he can play basketball,'' James said. ''When he's on the court, you don't think he's as athletic as he is, also.''
At the outset of training camp, most people believed that Sasha Pavlovic and Wally Szczerbiak would contend for the shooting guard spot.
''I thought Sasha and Wally would battle for the two spot and I thought Delonte would be the backup point guard,'' James said. ''But when [Brown] started him, I thought it was going to be a challenge for both of them.
''But it's been great. Delonte is an unbelievable defensive player and he and Mo complement each other a great deal in the backcourt.''
Indeed, the tandem averaged close to 30 points a game during the regular season and, although they struggled initially in the playoffs, they appear to have hit their groove.
General Manager Danny Ferry first suggested that West be given a shot at the shooting guard position. Brown was skeptical, but became a quick convert.
''After understanding Delonte's toughness, his length, his athleticism and his toughness, that equates to him being 6-foot-6,'' Brown said.
The job he did on the Detroit Pistons' Richard ''Rip'' Hamilton and the Atlanta Hawks' Joe Johnson is proof.
West, with occasional help, held Hamilton to 13.3 points per game in the Cavs' opening series against the Pistons, a full five points off his season average. He did the same to Johnson, holding him to 16.4 points per game.
Add Dimitri West, Delonte's father, to the list of people not surprised by what he's done this season. West had similar numbers when he played point guard for the Boston Celtics from 2004-07. He can play both guard positions, but left St. Joseph's playing shooting guard, his natural spot.
''Actually, you're seeing what he's capable of doing during the season when things fall in place in the order he belongs on the team,'' Dimitri West said. ''When they need him to score and play better, that's what he's doing.''
Given that the Cavs' game plan is predicated on defense, it's scary to think of what might have been. During training camp, West left unexpectedly. Wisely, the team allowed him to handle the situation in his way.
Upon his return, West revealed that he was, and still is, being treated for a mood disorder. Before West's absence, Brown had liked what he'd seen and did not penalize him for his absence.
Some might say that dealing with his issue helped West this season, but his father disagrees.
''It doesn't make you a strong person in order to deal with your own feelings,'' Dimitri West said. ''That's different than someone walking around keeping it in their pocket, then you know there's something really wrong with them.''
Delonte West agreed, saying that before he's a basketball player, he's just Delonte.
''I go through things like anyone else. I guess anyone who's in therapy who talks about it says it helps. I tried something different and it's been pretty good for me,'' he said.
To his teammates, none of that matters.
''If you know Delonte, you love him. If you don't know him, you probably won't like him because you don't understand him,'' James said. ''Being around him all the time, he's great person, a great guy.
''I'm happy for him. He's back to playing basketball at a high level and being happy about it.''
LeBron All-NBA
LeBron James keeps racking up the honors for his play during the regular season. James was a unanimous selection to the All-NBA first team for the third time in his career as voted by a panel of 122 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the U.S. and Canada.
He is just the eighth player since the media began voting began for All-NBA teams in the 1981-82 season to be selected unanimously. He joins Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic), Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks) and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat) on the first team.
George M. Thomas can be reached at sportswriterabj@sbcglobal.net. Read the Cavs blog at http://www.ohio.com/thomas. Follow Cavs coverage on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/cavsabj
Comments
Click here to post your comments
Akron, OH
Posted 09:54 AM, 05/14/2009
Show 'em what's up, Red!
akron, oh
Posted 01:03 PM, 05/14/2009
So what do the cavs do with the pic in june a point,shooting g or a big man?
independence, MO
Posted 06:35 PM, 05/14/2009
Big man. Big man. Big man. I would love to see them get that Cole Aldrich kid out of Kansas. He is the real deal.
