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da Vitor #41 » 12/01/2012, 16:54
Mavs Spotlight: The emergence of Delonte West
BOSTON — He wasn’t the highflying eight-time All-Star in search of an elusive NBA championship ring. He wasn’t the reigning Sixth Man of the Year, a two-time champion in his own right, who felt disrespected after being traded from Los Angeles to Dallas. So, it’s easy see why Delonte West’s free-agent signing with the defending champion Dallas Mavericks early in training camp was so overlooked with the team’s additions of Vince Carter and Lamar Odom.
Although he may have been overlooked then his play has made people take a second glance, with West arguably the Mavericks’ most consistent newcomer 11 games into the season as the team tries to repeat as champs.
After an injury-plagued 2010-11 season saw West play just 24 games with the Boston Celtics, the former St. Joseph’s standout had few suitors this offseason. That is until the reigning titleholders came calling, looking to fill the void left by the free-agent departure of backup point guard J.J. Barea to Minnesota.
Originally thought of as a reserve to play in relief of future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd at the point, West has proven to be far more, starting 10 of Dallas’ 11 games in the backcourt thus far while averaging 8.2 points, 1.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.9 steals. The seven-year vet is also coming off 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and three steals in the Mavs’ 90-85 road victory Wednesday night over his former team, the Celtics, as the 6-foot-3 guard helped lead his new team to three straight wins without Kidd in the lineup.
“[West] is not scared, he competes on every play, he’s tough in the post, you can’t really post him up, he’s got great hands and great anticipation. So, he just plays hard and it really sets a great tone for the whole team because he competes on every play,” leading scorer Dirk Nowitzki said with high praise for his new teammate.
“I can’t ask for a better compliment than for a player of Dirk Nowitzki’s caliber, after he made an amazing shot to win the game, he ran over to me and said, ‘We’re gonna get this game for you.’ And that’s got me on an emotional high right now,” West modestly said.
Playing alongside Kidd at the two-guard spot earlier in the season West showed the ability to play off the ball while also defending the other team’s best perimeter ball-handler. And with Kidd on the mend for the last three games due to a lower back injury, West slid down to the starting point position, leading the Mavs out of their 1-4 start and above .500 thanks to their first three-game winning streak of the young season.
“He’s incredible,” Terry said of West’s early-season play. “His energy we’ve been feeding off of it, obviously without J-Kidd. I think that people forget about Delonte’s ability to run the team and play point guard. That’s what he was drafted as and he’s a good one.”
“He’s set the tone in recent games with his competitiveness, particularly at the defensive end,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle added after watching West record five steals while also dishing out a season-high 10 assists to go with six points in a 100-86 win over Detroit Tuesday night. “And he was great (in Detroit), but he’s been really solid all the way through and each game he gets a little bit better feel for the team.”
Now, with West proving that he is more than just an afterthought, the new addition hopes to continue impressing his teammates and coach through his play. More importantly, West hopes the Mavs continue to rise in the standings, looking to improve upon the team’s first winning record of the season.
“I just like where we’re at as a team,” West said. “I love our fight (in Boston). There were a lot of emotions on our bench, period, and it was for the best. There were a lot of ups, a lot of downs, throughout the game for everybody, a lot of guys getting in each other’s face for the right reason, pulling each other along. And in the end that’s what’s making us more of a team, more of a unit and it’s turning us into a family.”
Note: The Mavs return home for a back-to-back with a four-game West Coast road trip looming, facing off with the Milwaukee Bucks Friday night in a game that will air locally on Fox Sports Southwest at 7:30 p.m. CT. The next night, the Mavericks welcome in the Sacramento Kings for a game that will also air on Fox Sports Southwest at 8 p.m. CT. Tickets are still available and can be purchased by calling (214) 747-6287.
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