Delonte West vs Avery Bradley

[mainevent]

I know many of you were upset that Danny didn't re-sign DWest this off season, I was one of them to be honest however, lets take a look at the situation as it stands today. If DW had been re-signed AB would almost certainly would not have gotten the time he has so far even with the Ray injury. If you plug DW in place of Dooling(which is what it was basically, Dooling chosen over West), West would have been loggin the minutes AB have gotten. Dooling hasn't gotten them because quite honestly he's garbage to me and I was totally against bringing him in, so Doc went with Avery because really he didn't have a choice. Second yr player or rookie (Twan) were his only logical choices.

I love DW, even with his stupid antics at times (how someone who went from broke months ago to being able to just GIVE away 25k for a stupid fine is beyond me), but I think it turned out just the way it needed to. Sometimes Danny does things that seem to make no sense at all to end up striking gold! Did he know that AB would have a breakout second season? Who knows, but if the choice TODAY was Delonte West or Avery Bradley, I'd take Avery in a nanosecond!

[RedSpades]

The fact that Dooling STILL gets minutes makes me really wish that Delonte West was resigned, even if it risked Avery Bradley from having his surprising emergence.

[Fafnir]

West's play with the C's wasn't great (injured too often too) but he played well enough to keep. In my view his off the court issues and perhaps lockerroom behavior were the reasons he was let go.

[nickagneta]

In my view his off the court issues and perhaps lockerroom behavior were the reasons he was let go.

Yeah, Faf is right on here. D-West wasn't allowed to go elsewhere because of his play, it was his off court package that just didn't gel with anyone else on the team except Big Baby.

I mean he sucker punched his own team mate in the Celtics locker room. That's not the environment that this team tries to have in the locker room and with impressionable young players like Johnson, Moore and Bradley on the team this year. The Celtics management wanted to clear the riff raff from the locker room and did a good job of it.

[pearljammer10]

Surprisingly I take Bradley any day of the week. West was one of my least favorite Celtics of all time, Bradley was at that point for me in the beginning of the year but has far surpased West as a better favorite and just a better player in general.

[CelticG1]

I think AB still would have found a decent role off the bench if that were the case. But yeah injuries have helped him get 30+ min a night.

[Edgar]

Delonte West is a Player

[mainevent]

In my view his off the court issues and perhaps lockerroom behavior were the reasons he was let go.

Yeah, Faf is right on here. D-West wasn't allowed to go elsewhere because of his play, it was his off court package that just didn't gel with anyone else on the team except Big Baby.

I mean he sucker punched his own team mate in the Celtics locker room. That's not the environment that this team tries to have in the locker room and with impressionable young players like Johnson, Moore and Bradley on the team this year. The Celtics management wanted to clear the riff raff from the locker room and did a good job of it.

Lol...I forgot about him and Von's skirmish. Yeah, he was better off gone. I just couldn't and still cant for that matter wrap my mind around Keyon Dooling being signed over him though. Despite his issues he's got a good game.

[nickagneta]

In my view his off the court issues and perhaps lockerroom behavior were the reasons he was let go.

Yeah, Faf is right on here. D-West wasn't allowed to go elsewhere because of his play, it was his off court package that just didn't gel with anyone else on the team except Big Baby.

I mean he sucker punched his own team mate in the Celtics locker room. That's not the environment that this team tries to have in the locker room and with impressionable young players like Johnson, Moore and Bradley on the team this year. The Celtics management wanted to clear the riff raff from the locker room and did a good job of it.

Lol...I forgot about him and Von's skirmish. Yeah, he was better off gone. I just couldn't and still cant for that matter wrap my mind around Keyon Dooling being signed over him though. Despite his issues he's got a good game.

Funny thing is Dooling has turned into what Bradley was at the beginning of the year, a great defensive player that gives the team absolutely nothing on the other end of the floor.

Another hilarious thing was Tommy Heinsohn commenting on how Dooling was a "scoring machine" in previous years. Yes, he did say this during last night's game. I mean WOW!!!

[arambone]

Either Doc or Danny said a couple months ago that Delonte was not re-signed because they felt Bradley was ready for a bigger role, and that wouldn't have happened with Delonte there.

This was pre-breakout, so that was an astute move on their part.

I realized recently that their belief in Bradley was probably the reason they didn't just take Marshon Brooks in the draft, for better or worse.

[bbd24]

Ainge has done well. I've forgotten about West.  I'd rather develop Bradley and Moore.  Moore is no slouch as well and if the position wasn't so deep, we'd be seeing more of E'tuan.

With more time & experience, I'd be willing to bet that Moore becomes better than Delonte down the road.  And I like Delonte, btw.

[Celtics4ever]

West is always hurt so I give the nod to Bradley.   Bradley is a better defender.  Bradley does not have off the court issues either.   He is the better player I would say as well, it is not that close.  West is better as a backup PG though.

[arambone]

June 2011:

Ainge recently told the Herald that if Bradley had returned to Texas for his sophomore year, he would be a "top-five pick" next week. Bradley is a raw player whose defense is miles ahead of his offense and is probably his only NBA-ready talent even now. As such, Ainge’s comment may speak as much about the quality of this year’s fledglings as it does about Bradley’s promise.

He was probably right about that as well.

His biggest draft boner recently was saying that if they felt JJohnson's strength was an issue, they wouldn't have drafted him. Clearly, JJ's strength is an issue. Jeremy Tyler looked solid enough last night against the Lakers, and he's only 19 or 20. And he's not a guy who ever had a strength issue.

[bbd24]

June 2011:

Ainge recently told the Herald that if Bradley had returned to Texas for his sophomore year, he would be a "top-five pick" next week. Bradley is a raw player whose defense is miles ahead of his offense and is probably his only NBA-ready talent even now. As such, Ainge’s comment may speak as much about the quality of this year’s fledglings as it does about Bradley’s promise.

He was probably right about that as well.

His biggest draft boner recently was saying that if they felt JJohnson's strength was an issue, they wouldn't have drafted him. Clearly, JJ's strength is an issue. Jeremy Tyler looked solid enough last night against the Lakers, and he's only 19 or 20. And he's not a guy who ever had a strength issue.

I remeber when the Ainge quote was first announced (Bradley being a top 5 pick).  Oh how everyone jumped on him for making a comment like that, especially since Bradley was riding the pine and not seeing much action.  Wonder where those people are at right about now & has their opinion changed ?

[jambr380]

June 2011:

Ainge recently told the Herald that if Bradley had returned to Texas for his sophomore year, he would be a "top-five pick" next week. Bradley is a raw player whose defense is miles ahead of his offense and is probably his only NBA-ready talent even now. As such, Ainge’s comment may speak as much about the quality of this year’s fledglings as it does about Bradley’s promise.

He was probably right about that as well.

His biggest draft boner recently was saying that if they felt JJohnson's strength was an issue, they wouldn't have drafted him. Clearly, JJ's strength is an issue. Jeremy Tyler looked solid enough last night against the Lakers, and he's only 19 or 20. And he's not a guy who ever had a strength issue.

TP for bringing up this quote. I remember it very clearly and thinking it was a bit precarious at the time. Who really believed that Bradley would have been a top 5 pick? But, it looks as though he was right and Bradley has a bright future in the NBA.

As for Delonte, I think with his injury woes, we would have gotten spurts of Avery [remember, Rondo missed some time, too]. I know he wasn't that solid at the beginning of the year, but he kind of burst into the scene after a tough start.