Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle all praise for Delonte West – NBA Update
There was a time last summer when Delonte West couldn’t find a decent enough job to support himself during the extended NBA Lockout. His contract with the Boston Celtics, during which he played 24 games, had just expired and West,
with a history of drug related and disciplinary offences, was desperately looking for a NBA team to come calling.
That was when the defending NBA champions Dallas Mavericks took him into their fold. The Mavs signed the combo guard on a one year deal and he impressed big time. In the 44 games he participated in, West made 33 starts and ended
the season with averages of 9.6 points, 3.2 assists and 2.3 rebounds at a shooting rate of nearly 46 percent.
Head coach Rick Carlisle was impresses by the energy of his guard and recently talked about the impact which West makes on the court;
"He's a terrific all-around player," Coach Rick Carlisle said. "He gives us something really virtually in every area of the game.
"Offensively, he can score and make plays, and defensively he's going to be one of the better defenders at his size in this league, and we like his experience. He gained a lot of credibility last year in our locker room with our
guys, so I'm happy to have him back."
The Mavs handed him another deal of one year this off season, and will need him to cover up for both O.J. Mayo and Darren Collison in the back court. West sounds grateful at another opportunity with the Mavs, who now have seven
guards on their roster;
"I'm honored and I'm blessed with this opportunity that they extended my contract," West said. "Some people say I'm crazy -- I just have a different way of looking at things.
"I felt like I'm on a two-year contract. I am on a multi-year. It just started last year."
The Mavs are in process of re-structuring their franchise. They had let go of players like Tyson Chandler and J.J. Barea shortly after winning the championship because they needed financial flexibility. This off season, after missing
out on both Dwight Howard and Deron Williams, they have been quite intent on handing out one year contracts, and extensions, to majority of their roster.
West’s case is more of the same, and it will definitely keep him honest throughout the next season.