10 pts. last game and he was critical to them winning, Ray has stated himself he's taken Wafer under his wing and disciplining him: BOSTON -- Ray Allen has been hard on Von Wafer. He critiques his game. He tells him right from wrong. He urges him to be a good teammate. He doesn’t always tell him what he wants to hear -- he tells him what he needs to hear. And Wafer loves every word of it. Allen sees potential in Wafer … beyond the coach-imposed ejection during a playoff game during his time with the Houston Rockets, the European career-gone-sour, and the altercation with Delonte West earlier this season. Allen sees a 25-year-old with the opportunity to establish himself on a championship-contending team this season. So he’s tough on him. He believes that underneath Wafer’s previous reputation, there is a good NBA player. But talent alone doesn’t guarantee success, and Allen is pushing him to reach that next level. “I believe that he has the talent to do what I do out there on the floor,” Allen told CSNNE.com. “He can shoot the ball, he can get to the hole, he’s got athletic ability. But at this stage, there’s a lot of guys that have that. He’s on the same team as I am, he has the ability to learn from me, from what I do on a daily basis. He has the ability to learn from Paul (Pierce). “But the question is, does he want to learn? One. And two, mentally, can he stay with it to try to gain whatever expertise he needs to become one the best players in this league?” Those questions have tested Wafer this season. Rather than letting his pride get in the way, Wafer is putting his guard down to be receptive to Allen’s challenges. He has learned that criticism can be constructive, which has helped him improve his game. “[Ray] stays on me in a good way. I love that,” Wafer told CSNNE.com. “Sometimes I’ve been in the past dealing with guys that just try to bring negative attention toward you, make you look bad, but Ray is genuinely helping me and it’s done wonders for me. He’s constantly telling me to watch what he does and he watches what I do and he critiques me on it. It’s been helping.” Injuries on the Celtics have created the opportunity for Wafer to see more playing time. He is averaging more than 10 minutes in the last five games, including nearly 16 on Monday against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Wafer put together his best performance as a Celtic, posting 10 points (4-8 FG) and six rebounds. The last time he scored 10 points (excluding preseason) was May 17, 2009 with the Rockets, a Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Semifinals. On Monday, there was a different result - and Wafer was part of the success. “We give him a lot of crap about it because … I think on Media Day he says, ‘I’m an offensive player’ was his quote,” said Doc Rivers. “He’s proven to us that he’s more than that. I think a lot of players have that in them, they just don’t know it sometimes, and we’re getting it out of him. And he’s actually enjoying it. It’s funny to watch him. He gets excited about defensive stops now, and that’s great because I get excited about that as well.” Fitting into the Celtics system is important to Wafer. He is on his sixth NBA team since being drafted in 2005, and Allen has stressed the importance of sticking with one squad. “I just want to be a good teammate,” said Wafer. “Just try not to be difficult to deal with and try to treat everybody the way I want to be treated. I think that’ll go far in the end. … I’m learning. I’m doing a lot of things differently. I think I had a lot of bad ways. I don’t feel like I’m a bad person. I just think I was immature and didn’t know. But what I’m learning from Ray is the right way to do it and how to do it. I think it’s helped a lot.” It takes a committed work ethic to make it on the Celtics. That goes beyond the basketball season, too. Wafer recognizes there is a difference between saying he wants something and doing it. He admits that sticking with a regimen during the summer will be a test, and is aware of the obstacles that lie ahead to develop a routine. Wafer knows it won’t be easy. He has seen discipline pay off for Allen, though, and looks to follow that example - even if it will be a mental and physical challenge along the way. “I really want it. I want it really badly,” he said. “There’s no doubt, but it’s easy to sit here and say you want something, but when you’re going through it, you learn a lot about yourself.” This is where Allen hopes his conversations will make a difference. If Monday’s performance was any indication, their talks are paying off. “I’m proud of him,” said Allen. “He knows that doing everything the right way, there’s a reward to it. He can see because I know how he felt today. Everybody came in and told him great job, and I’m sure [the media] talked to him, so he’s like, okay I’ve got to continue this trend.” One game is not enough for Wafer. Allen has shown him that hard work will pay off over time, and he hopes this is just the beginning. Said Wafer, “I can’t wait for my chance to come to try to put out there what [Ray’s] taught me because I think I’ve become a much better basketball player.” http://www.necn.com/01/04/11/Allens...anding_sports.html?blockID=384485&feedID=3352
Im happy for him finally seeing that he has to be a better teammate and learn to play some defense. Boston looks like the perfect place for him. I think he's scared to act up in fear that Doc or Shaq or Garnett or Perkins or Pierce or Jermaine or Big Baby or Rondo or Delonte or Nate or their rookies or the towel boy gets in his face. Just saying man those guys can be tough on him.
After making the team out of preseason by a whisker, Wafer had spotty minutes and didn't produce when he was on the floor. His body language was bad at first. His shot wasn't dropping. Lately though, he's turned things around. He has exhibited more confidence on offense, and with that his production has improved. More importantly he's taken a genuine interest in playing the other end, using his athleticism to play pretty good overall defense and to make some outstanding individual defensive plays. With all the Celtics injuries in the backcourt (Rondo, West, Nate) Wafer got his opportunity and has performed fairly well. This has allowed the Celtics to give Ray Allen at least a little rest. He's on the end of the bench with the three rookies (Erden, Bradley, and Harangody) where minutes are uneven, but Wafer's done well recently and earned his spot on the roster for the rest of the season.
