Delonte West’s Injury Return Pushed Back, Plus Other Injury Updates

Delonte West’s injury return pushed back, plus other injury updates

Jay King | March 8, 2011 at 4:44 pm | 0 Comments

In Boston Celtics speak, the phrase “he’ll return Wednesday” really means “there’s a slight chance he’ll return Wednesday. In all probability, he will actually return sometime later than that.” Thus, Delonte West’s return — just like so many returns before his — has been pushed back. (ESPN Boston)

“[Delonte] is not going to play tomorrow and I think he’s doubtful for Friday [at Philadelphia] as well,” said Rivers. “We’re hoping for Sunday [vs. Milwaukee].”

Von Wafer will not play tomorrow, either, and, well, things don’t sound good.

The news on Wafer isn’t encouraging. Still wearing a walking boot since spraining the calf Friday against the Golden State Warriors, he is expected to miss at least another week.

Said Rivers: “He’s going to miss a while. He’s nowhere close to coming back.”

Glen Davis will also miss the chance to play Blake Griffin, as will the O’Neal brothers. Davis will miss the next two games, despite saying he felt “great” today.

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DAVIS, DELONTE LIKELY TO MISS NEXT TWO GAMES
By: Mike Petraglia
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WALTHAM -- After sounding hopeful on Saturday that Delonte West would return Wednesday against the Clippers, Doc Rivers ruled that possiblity out following practice on Tuesday. West has missed the last four games with a sprained right ankle and was limited to working out on an exercise bicycle Tuesday while the team held an open practice.

"He's not going to play [Wednesday]," Rivers said. "I think he's doubtful for Friday, as well. We're hoping Sunday." Meanwhile, Von Wafer is also battling leg issues and Rivers said his back-up guard, injured against Golden State last Friday, is out indefinitely. "Von is going to miss a while. He's nowhere close to coming back," Rivers said.

There was some good news as Rivers sounded much more hopeful with regard to Glen Davis, who is battling left knee soreness. The power forward has missed the last two games with patellar tendinitis.

"Baby said he felt great today but we're going to hold him out for the next two games, for sure," Rivers said.

The Celtics play the Clippers at TD Garden Wednesday night before traveling to Philadelphia for a Friday night game with the 76ers. They host Milwaukee on Sunday night.

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WALTHAM, Mass. -- Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers said Tuesday that Glen Davis (left knee strain), Von Wafer (right calf sprain) and Delonte West (right ankle sprain) will all sit out Wednesday's visit from the Los Angeles Clippers.

With Shaquille O'Neal (right foot injuries) and Jermaine O'Neal (left knee surgery) also sidelined for the foreseeable future, that leaves Boston with only 10 healthy bodies. That's still one more than they were able to dress Sunday in Milwaukee as newly acquired Carlos Arroyo practiced with the team for the first time Tuesday and will be active for Wednesday's game.

The Celtics were hopeful to have at least West back by this point, but will instead rely on new faces like Arroyo to drive down escalating minutes for Boston's starters. West has missed the last four games since injuring the ankle in an informal workout during the team's four-game road trip coming out of the All-Star break.

"[Delonte] is not going to play tomorrow and I think he's doubtful for Friday [at Philadelphia] as well," said Rivers. "We're hoping for Sunday [vs. Milwaukee]."

Davis, who had been battling left knee tendinitis before aggravating the injury last week against the Phoenix Suns, has missed the last two games and will likely sit out two more, even as he declared himself in better shape Tuesday.

"Baby said he felt great today," said Rivers. "But we're going to hold him out for the next two games for sure."

That means extra minutes for newcomers Jeff Green and Troy Murphy at the power forward spot. A luxury Boston didn't have before last month's trade deadline.

Said Davis: "I'm getting a lot of rest, getting a lot of stem and ice, watching a lot of film. I'm trying to drop some [pounds] before the playoffs start, so I can be out there jumping like a jack rabbit."

Davis said he hoped to return to the practice court soon and stressed that, if this were the postseason, he'd be back on the floor already. Instead, much like others that are currently on the shelf (or have been there before), Boston is taking advantage of the time it has before the playoffs arrive, putting a premium on long-term health.

"I’m not going to push them," said Rivers. "Yeah, the clock is ticking, there's no doubt... But the one thing I told [team trainer] Eddie [Lacerte] is taht we need them on the floor, but we need them healthy, too. We're going to choose health first."

The news on Wafer isn't encouraging. Still wearing a walking boot since spraining the calf Friday against the Golden State Warriors, he is expected to miss at least another week.

Said Rivers: "He's going to miss a while. He's nowhere close to coming back."

112288

Delonte better have a huge playoff run for us, I don't know about you, but I'm losing my patience with him. There comes a time where being labeled a head case and being injury prone is not cool.

None of these injuries has been West's poor judgement. He will be back and he will contribute. He was just starting to get in a groove when he was back last time. I am much more concerned about our centers.

Yeah, I'd rather he'd be healthy for the playoffs rather than cool. I have confidence that, if he's healthy, he'll do the best job he can. Can't ask for more than that.

Sam

We'll have to see if he can stay upright in the playoffs, hes 27 and has been snakebitten his whole career. Avery Bradley looks like an up and coming player to be and thanks to Danny we have other depth at the 1 and 2.....perhaps cool isn't the right word, he just better get his $hit together.

cow

My dad was bi-polar. it aint as easy as just getting it together. That disease is a mean motor scooter.

Hell the guy had a compound fracture in his wrist and he hurt his ankle. The wrist thing was awful and just king hell bad luck. I honestly feel like we have burned through ALL our bad luck this year and we will reap the rewards of hard work all spring and through June. I know Shaq will come back and delonte too.

I even thin jon will be giving us ten to 15 a game. We are due some good health and we shall have it at the right time.

jeb

Yeah the wrist injury was terrible, but he better give us a great boost come playoffs, to me he hasn't done his share of the load. For his career hes never played more than 71 games in a season, has seasons where he missed 30 and 40 games, thats normal for him. If he can't stay on floor for playoffs I would not resign him. Spraining an ankle during a walk thru? whats gonna happen next?

cow

Come on now, Jeb. No one has been through as much pain and heartache as MIA has this season. Our situation, like everyone else in the league not named MIA, is just business as usual. (Insert sarcasm)

sam wrote:Yeah, I'd rather he'd be healthy for the playoffs rather than cool. I have confidence that, if he's healthy, he'll do the best job he can. Can't ask for more than that.

Sam

Ahh Sam; It's OK, you've always been cool...and I hope you're healthy for the playoffs too.

Beat and others have already mentioned this but the health issues have really magnified the value of Danny's deal-making. Where would we be right now without Krstic, Green, Pavlovic, Murphy and Arroyo ready to lace 'em up? They may not all be ingrained to our system or firing on all cylinders yet, but they're providing what we need to remain a top contender. That of course is the prerequisite to the discussion that a couple of the new players might make us a better all-around team.

What a luxury to be able to say we're waiting for the return of Davis, West, Shaq, Jermaine and Wafer, but we've got Krstic, Green, Pavlovic, Murphy and Arroyo available. Furthermore we could have been in a position to add Perk and Nate and Daniels to the currently wounded list with none of those other guys available; how many 10-day contracts would we have had to hand out to fill seats?

Thanks to Danny, who as a player oddly enough was once dealt away from the Celts himself, things have worked out well!

NYCelt,

You've precisely nailed how very fortunate this team is, considering all the injury problems. I believe they're now approaching 200 player games lost to injury this season. And I don't consider that figure as important as the sheer number of departures from, and returns to the lineup. Discontinuity in action.

The extended absences of Davis and West, in particular, could have a bearing on the rotation by playoff time. It's almost like a game of dominoes. The bench tonight will probably consist of Murphy at center, Green at PF, Sasha at SF, Bradley at SG, and Arroyo at PG.

Let's assume, for an awful moment, that neither O'Neal rounds into shape to contribute more than cameos in the playoffs. (I know, I know, but bear with me.)

• Replace Murphy with a healthy Davis at center.
• Keep Green at PF
• Keep Sasha at SF
• Replace Bradley with a healthy West at SG
• Keep Arroyo at PG.

While it's very likely that Doc will rotate starters so that either Paul, Ray or Rondo is playing with the bench at any given juncture, a five of Davis, Green, Sasha, West and Arroyo could potentially be very interesting. We have to keep in mind the fact that they would be playing primarily against other benches, not so much against starters. If those five are sufficiently healthy to spend some time playing together any time soon, it could squeeze Wafer out of the playoff rotation.

Sam

NYCelt wrote:

sam wrote:Yeah, I'd rather he'd be healthy for the playoffs rather than cool. I have confidence that, if he's healthy, he'll do the best job he can. Can't ask for more than that.

Sam

Ahh Sam; It's OK, you've always been cool...and I hope you're healthy for the playoffs too.

Beat and others have already mentioned this but the health issues have really magnified the value of Danny's deal-making. Where would we be right now without Krstic, Green, Pavlovic, Murphy and Arroyo ready to lace 'em up? They may not all be ingrained to our system or firing on all cylinders yet, but they're providing what we need to remain a top contender. That of course is the prerequisite to the discussion that a couple of the new players might make us a better all-around team.

What a luxury to be able to say we're waiting for the return of Davis, West, Shaq, Jermaine and Wafer, but we've got Krstic, Green, Pavlovic, Murphy and Arroyo available. Furthermore we could have been in a position to add Perk and Nate and Daniels to the currently wounded list with none of those other guys available; how many 10-day contracts would we have had to hand out to fill seats?

Thanks to Danny, who as a player oddly enough was once dealt away from the Celts himself, things have worked out well!

NYCELT

Don't look now but Luke Haragody is hurt and out for Cleveland now too!
F Luke Harangody was listed as doubtful for the Golden State game with a hip pointer.

Think if no moves were made we'd have about 5 players right now!

beat

DA: EoY
DR: CoY

sure, they deserve it, and there are really only a handful of legit candidates

but who cares, there is only ONE thing important and we all know what that is.