Delonte West off the Bench?

by yanni235 on Jul 26, 2009 8:20 AM CDT Comment 22 comments

With the acquisitions of Jamario Moon and Anthony Parker, the Cavs have versatility at the guard and forward positions. Delonte West played a ton of minutes last season and in order to bring those minutes down why not bring him off the bench? Parker could start at the two guard and get his twenty-six minutes a night which would allow the Cavaliers to bring West, Ilgauskas, and Moon in as their second unit. West is an above-average defender and can make his own shot off the dribble very well, especially in the post, but the Cavs need more height at the shooting guard position and even though West may not start, I'm willing to bet he would be in the game come crunch time.

Also I don't think Anderson should be the starting power forward. He is at his best coming off the bench but who else do the Cavs have?

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Perhaps this could work if maybe West came off the bench like Jason Terry did in Dallas last season. (In which he’s still one 5 best players, just isn’t in the game at tipoff.) But I don’t know if it would really help us significantly.

As for power forward, Anderson is the best player we have at that position, he’ll start.

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by Simmsinns on Jul 26, 2009 9:17 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I agree with this completely. I don’t see where West going to the bench is a worthwhile conversation. He’s shown to be worthy of 30+ minutes a night. He’s shown he can play very well alongside Lebron. Does it matter if he’s there at the tip, as long as he continues to do the two things I mentioned?

And I’m not getting the Varejao shouldn’t be a starter argument. Isn’t every player going to look better coming off the bench? Playing against lesser players and getting to compress more of your energy into fewer minutes should be helpful to any player.

by 7foot3 on Jul 26, 2009 10:38 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Andy just isn’t starting power forward material if the Cavs want to win a championship. I agree everyone’s stats can look better coming off the bench, but not everyone has the ability to do that. Some guys can’t just come in the game when they are needed and perform without warming up like the starters. Varejao is great at hustling and getting offensive boards and that kind of player usually doesn’t start.

It does look like he is going to have to start because we don’t have any other options. Who is the backup PF? Darnell Jackson? He has some potential but the guy is fouling every other minute out there and his offensive skill set is about that of Andy’s. Maybe Bosh can be that guy next year.

by yanni235 on Jul 28, 2009 7:50 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

First off, I meant to reply to Simmsinns. But if Boston knocks out Orlando, like they almost did, there is an excellent chance that Varejao is the starting 4 on a championship team. There’s so many things that go into winning a championship that you can’t say something like starting him precludes teams from doing so. It’s not about trying to acquire pegs that perfectly fit the holes. It’s about putting the best team you can on the floor. Varejao’s hustling and rebounding, and other things like being one of the four big men to put up a .500 fg% in the Lebron era (the other 3 being Boozer, and Smith’s and Hickson’s small sample sizes), makes him a very valuable player and one of the best players on this team. Whether or not he’s on the court at tip-off really doesn’t matter, but you want to get him in quickly and for 30 minutes a night.

by 7foot3 on Jul 28, 2009 10:48 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

yeah, i’m with you on both west and varejao. while it seems more imperative that andy start (who else will?), the hang up on starting is crazy. jason terry, ben gordon and manu are all clearly in the best 5 of their respective teams, and each of them has been the sixth man.

it’s not who starts, it’s who finishes the close ones.

by DontCallMeJoey on Jul 28, 2009 11:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The matter of who starts and who doesn’t start is important. if west comes off the bench, he is the primary ball handler, which the Cavs clearly don’t have a back up PG, and runs the second unit until the fourth quarter (most likely). He provides the bench with scoring and PG duties. If he is in the starting line up the Cavs have to play him 36+ minutes a night again since he will have to stay on to play point when Mo sits. Not only win he be a little more fresh for the fourth if he comes off the bench, but he won’t have to guard a taller, heavier SG for most of the night either.

by yanni235 on Jul 29, 2009 2:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Except they don’t sub in for the whole lineup at once. The Cavs have done a good job of keeping a legit ballhandler on the court, or at least only having Gibson as the ballhandler when the opponents backcourt defense is pretty shaky. And Lebron plays 40 mins a night and always is the primary ballhandler. You only need Williams or West on the floor for those other 8 minutes. If he’s playing 30 mins a night, and finishing games, how much fresher can he be for the 4th quarter. And he hasn’t had problems with other 2 guards.

by 7foot3 on Jul 29, 2009 3:34 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with nelly808 on the fact that west is a great defender but the length of taller SG is a mismatch. The magic exposed that in the playoffs. Gibson should never run the offense. I used to like him when his jumper was falling two years ago, but he hasn’t had that same touch since then. Granted his PT has been spotty and the Cavs are better now then they were then, but he really brings nothing to the team other than the 3ball. He can’t defend anyone (I saw lots and lots of games where he had at least 3 fouls and allowed his man to the hole continuously), he can’t grab boards, he can’t play point, he’s not physical at 180 pounds, and he’s not as quick as other guards his size. Basically he is friends with LeBron, thats why he is there. Hopefully LeBron’s minutes will be down to 35. I think he was at 38 last year. I think West’s minutes will come in the 2nd and 4th quarters with most coming in the fourth, hopefully.

by yanni235 on Jul 30, 2009 8:40 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

West guarded a SF/PF against Orlando. Not a SG. They didn’t expose anything about him guarding bigger 2’s, unless there’s suddenly a run of 6’10 2-guards in the NBA. And I’m not here to defend Gibson as a good player, I’ve always said he’s overrated by many Cavs fans, and can only shoot the 3. And I don’t know why were limiting Lebron’s minutes, he can play 40 mins a night in tighter games, and can get rest in the blowouts.

by 7foot3 on Jul 30, 2009 1:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That’s true he guarded Hedo, but most, if not all, SG are bigger than Delonte, not thtat it’s a huge problem. LeBron’s minutes getting limited is what the organization wants and I would support that. The man needs a break. Did you see him in the last game of the Orlando series? He was shot. In the game they lost before that one he was done in the fourth. I love watching LeBron play all game but he needs rest like everyone else.

by yanni235 on Jul 31, 2009 9:17 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, Lebron was beat from putting everything he had on the floor for almost two weeks. I have a hard time believing that getting 37 instead of 40 minutes in November makes a difference there though. They needed his teammates to step up, so Lebron didn’t have to do everything on both ends of the floor.

by 7foot3 on Jul 31, 2009 10:52 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well its hard to say what will help when you’ve never played in the NBA. If people in the game and around the game say LeBron needs more rest, then give him more down time. And yes, James’ teammates need to show up this post-season.

by yanni235 on Aug 2, 2009 9:03 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

one edge the Cavs have over everyone else...

is that they can play Lebron 48 minutes a night in the playoffs. The key is keeping his minutes down during the season. Phil Jackson of the Lakers, for example, constantly battles keeping the minutes of his key playoff cogs down during the season (Fisher, Kobe, Gasol), but it doesn’t always work that way (Gasol played far more minutes than Phil originally planned).

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by tandur on Aug 4, 2009 2:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

If the Lakers had played a healthy Celtics team in the finals again, Pau’s minutes would have caught up with him. Seeing how the Magic have no inside presence other than Howard allowed Pau’s extended time to not wear him down as much. Big Baby, Garnett, and Perkins would have walked over him.

by yanni235 on Aug 4, 2009 4:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Anderson pretty much has to start, unless they go with a small lineup with LeBron at the 4. Against some teams, that will actually work quite well.

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by Max_in_Missouri on Jul 28, 2009 1:02 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

delonte

i been saying for awhile now that cavs should have traded delonte for raja bell…..but i think him coming off the bench does boost the bench production alot! i like west but he is so undersized and holds on to the ball way too long to be effective.
you may have a point tho

by NELLY808 on Jul 28, 2009 8:41 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

i been saying for awhile now that cavs should have traded delonte for raja bell

have you been joking?

by DontCallMeJoey on Jul 28, 2009 11:15 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

no sir

i have not been joking, i am a huge fan of raja bell and i feel as if he would be a better fit than delonte west period!, i think west is a good player but he holds on to the ball far too long to be effective and it sometimes causes imbalance on offense, west is an excellent defender, until you have him play the elite teams, he cannot guard longer lengthier players, just look at what hedo did to him?! hedo is like one of the more slower 2 and small forwards in the league…he beat up on delonte simply with his size and that does not fly well with me.
delonte would do much better with the bobcats, he could be the 2nd option there!

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by NELLY808 on Jul 29, 2009 10:44 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

hedo shot 39% in the ECF. not exactly torching delonte…

by DontCallMeJoey on Jul 29, 2009 11:11 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

That is a even trade

Delonte is a better shooter and offensive player but Raja is a better one on defender but very poor team defender. I doubt the trade would improve the Cavs in fact maybe it would make them worse. Since the Cavs have limited scorers they need guys who can create their own shot, Raja can not do that on a consistent basis.

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by E5 on Jul 31, 2009 1:20 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

oh and andy!

yes andy needs to start, i know everyone thinks he is overpaid, but he rewarded the organization with his best statistical year to date when they chose to be loyal to him…i wonder what he is going to do now that he really has to live up to the greens?

by NELLY808 on Jul 28, 2009 8:42 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

West off bench

Wjjjjjjjjjhat about Williams off the bench West is a better defender williams will add more offense two second team…. Give it an idenity…. Booby Gibson will be just fine .. It take some point gurds a little longer to come into thier own… With Shapq things will open up.. Now he will have some one to dish off to when he goes to the hole…. He is the best shooter own the team.. His defense is better than Mo Williams… And remeber you heard hear first he will push for more minutes… How many years did it take West… Stick with booby….

by coachdozier on Aug 12, 2009 10:34 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs