Jermaine O'Neal could miss 2-3 weeks, Delonte West ready to go
After Shaquille O’Neal recovered from a bruised knee, the Boston Celtics’ frontline will be shorthanded once again after head coach Doc Rivers announced on Monday 15 November that Jermaine
O’Neal could miss another two to three weeks with an injured left knee.
Jermaine O’Neal, who only played for 11 minutes in their game against the Dallas Mavericks on 8 November and missed the team’s last two games, was in the Celtics’ practice on Monday 15 November,
but he did not participated in the drills.
“He's still going through a couple more evaluations,” said Rivers on O’Neal, who averaged 5.6 points and 3.6 rebounds in his first seven games this season.
Rivers clarified that O’Neal will not need to undergo surgery and the Celtics have no plan of signing a free agent centre to fill in the gap left by O’Neal and Kendrick Perkins, who hasn’t
play for Boston since game six of the 2010 finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. “There aren't a lot of good 7-footers walking the earth who aren't signed,” Rivers said.
Meanwhile, hard-nosed guard Delonte West is set to make his debut in a Celtics uniform on Wednesday 17 November when Boston host the Washington Wizards at the TD Garden.
West, who was signed by the Celtics as a free agent after he was released by the Minnesota Timberwolves during the off-season, was suspended for 10 games after pleading guilty to weapon charges
in July.
During Monday’s practice, West spent almost an hour working with assistant coaches Lawrence Frank and Tyronn Lue, and the 27-year-old guard declared that he is ready to help the Celtics in
their pursuit for another title this year.
“I'm just ready to go, help this team out, best way I can,” said West, who averaged 8.8 points and 3.3 assists in 60 games with Cleveland last season. “If that's Wednesday night, or not,
it doesn't matter. I am just happy to have the suspension behind me and I'm able to play, if my number is called. We've got a very good team, we're playing well.”
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