Von hearts Boston

Peeping in from Florence and saw this on redsarmy.com

"Von would love to be back [with Boston]," Doyle said of the 6-foot-5 swingman who has played for seven teams since being drafted by the Lakers in the second round (35th overall) of the 2005 draft. "He's never gotten that opportunity to go back with a team."

While Boston's first-round draft pick JaJuan Johnson snagged Wafer's No. 12 at last Monday's rookie introductions, Wafer remains a potential free agent option for depth at the swingman spot. Boston's desire to keep him might depend on whether the team can re-sign combo guard West, and whether Gilbert Brown, the undrafted shooting guard out of Pittsburgh who's also represented by Doyle, can earn a spot on the team once the lockout is over.

Doyle said Wafer has a better idea of what's expected of him after last season and stressed that Wafer learned a lot from Boston's veteran leaders. Wafer will draw interest from teams hoping he can rekindle what made him an effective bench presence in Houston during the 2008-09 season, when he averaged 9.7 points over 19.4 minutes per game. Wafer shot only 26.9 percent from beyond the arc last season, down from 39 percent in Houston, and coach Doc Rivers worked hard to get him to buy into the defense-first system. Even still, Wafer showed glimpses of what makes him an intriguing depth option.

bob

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Peeping in again, this time from Siena.

I was down on Von Wafer early and then came to appreciate his game. He will always be a shooter, but I saw him step up his defense during the year and started playing smart and at multiple speeds. He has good size and now has considerable veteran experience, just not in one system for very long.

I agree with Dboss, his competition should not be with Delonte West UNLESS we pick up a new backup point guard. Then, much of West's duties will be shifted to the 2-spot and that would take time away from Wafer.

Wafer knows our system and has experience playing with our roster. The rookie Danny drafted is comparable in size and will have chemistry with his first round compadre, but is that enough to offset Wafer's experience? Knowing Danny and Doc's preferences for vets, I'd say no. Second rounders are looong shots to make a team anyway, so I wouldn't be surprised if the rook gets some pointers from Bradley on the best places to eat in Maine are, and that frees up the slot for Wafer. Let's also not forget that Von Wafer himself might have aspirations that are beyond what he can expect to achieve here, like Tony Allen and, perhaps, Glen Davis.

bob

P.S. Vagabonding in Europe is, in some ways, harder than doing it in Asia. The improved infrastructure here channels you into their preferred lifestyles. Finding internet cafes is harder here because everybody has DSL or WiFi. Siena, for example, bans all cars from the city center overnight. This means you either leave your rental car in a pay lot, like I've done, and walk OR you arrive by train/bus and are a longer walk from the stazione to where the action is. On the other hand, compared to Nepal, at least there are designated bus depots with published schedules, as opposed to just a general "everybody knows where and when to go" situation. Who's "everybody"?...

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dboss wrote:hey Bob

sounds like you are having a wonderful time.

dboss,

I am, but every day is colored with the thought of Jeb.

bob