Thing is, West is suspended for the first 10 games and the Celtics might* have no other decent back up after Delonte at that spot. So Wafer's opportunity is right there. Problem is, the way he's played he'd never see the floor in the regular season. *I say "might" because first round pick Avery Bradley who is recovering from ankle surgery hasn't played yet. Bradley's close to being ready though, and he could be the answer until West returns. We'll soon see.
I'm wishing this guy the best, but seriously a technical foul when your up by 30? Anyways I hope he shows some skills next game and hopefully he makes the 15th spot, but right now Lasme looks better than him
The Celtics sat 6 players tonight, giving the bench guys an extended look. Wafer started and performed well at first. He ended with 11 points. Minutes were in the high 30s. He did some good things. But... his defense was sub par. Wafer kept not finding his man in transition. Since that man was Kapono (a dangerous shooter who all you have to do is stay with) it did not end well. Wafer did not shoot well from outside. Meanwhile Staphane Lasme continued to impress. While Wafer's intensity seems lukewarm, Lasme is always giving full effort. He's long, athletic, and plays very good D, which is essential to play for the Celtics. Doc Rivers made a point of complimenting Lasme in the postgame intervew. Wafer's likely not going to get minutes like that again. I think this is almost over and Lasme's probably won the job.
Well, by being an ex-Rocket Wafer has a backup plan in China, as mentioned. The funny thing is Rafer's destiny depends on whether the Celtics cut Wafer or not; because the team that's interested in Rafer is more interested in Wafer.
The same thing happened with Wafer and the Rockets. DJ Strawberry pretty much had the roster spot locked up in the preseason and then Wafer went berserk in a game against the Grizzlies and hit 7 threes.
Well, today was more of the same, Wafer had barely any playing time and put up no points. Lasme had 15 minutes of playing time and put up 2 points. Something tells me Lasme will get the spot but I'm still pulling for Wafer. Also, Pierce hit the game winning shot on his birthday woop-di-doo
YES! I remember that! That was awesome! I still bring that one up all of the time. I was thinking we were going to have 2 berries on our team- DJ Strawberry and Brent Barry
Yes. Lasme got a serious audition for the job. He's right there on defense, but his offense is lacking. Wafer hasn't looked good in the preseason so far, so he will have to light it up soon or he'll be gone. FWIW, second rounder Luke Harangody came in, in the 3rd quarter and turned the game around. 16 points, 12 rebounds, 2 steals in 21 minutes. He was everywhere. The Celtics have picked up three promising rookies in Harangody, Erden (last pick a few years ago), and first rounder Bradley who is coming off ankle surgery but has the longest arm to body ratio I think I've ever seen.
As a couple of you predicted, Wafer had by far his best game tonight against the Raptors. In the first half he did everything right, scoring a bunch of points and showing his outside shot. Along with the other Celtics reserves, he didn't do too much in the 4th quarter. Gabon citizen Stephane Lasme did not make the trip to Canada for paperwork reasons of some kind. Wafer helped himself in Toronto. Two exhibitions left to figure out how gets the job.
That's the Wafer we all knew and loved (OK, so it blew hot and cold!) here in Houston. Anyone see the game? Did he play any defense? Have any assists? I'm genuinely curious. Thanks for the stats, man. (and send Clutch a donation!!)
As was previously mentioned with Delonte West suspended for the first 10 games and Avery Bradley still not completely healthy, Wafer is needed. On another forum someone made the excellent point that Luke Harangody's strong recent performance could make keeping Lasme less necessary. Those two factors help Wafer. Either guy could still win the job. It's a fun small subplot in what has been a very entertaining preseason for Boston.
His defense in the first half was pretty good, which is a huge improvement over his previous performances. He passed well too. The 4th quarter was a complete meltdown for the Celtics, and Wafer didn't accomplish much (along with everyone else in green except Nate Robinson). The Boston lead was so huge though they still won. Wafer played a less rushed, much more efficient game tonight. He really contributed and showed his ability to score. He was in the right spot all the time, unlike previous games.
Thanks! Damn good news. I never "hated" Von Wafer, but totally understood why he was let go. Now if his back holds up, and he continues along this path, he could prove a real boon to the guys in green. (and send Clutch a donation!!)
Second to last exhibition: Wafer and Lasme both had their moments. Both good at times and not so good at other times. Wafer hit a few nice shots. Lasme banged around and picked up a few easy buckets. They had fairly similar statistical games. Neither had a particularly great game but both did stuff to make you like them. The nice thing is they work hard to feed the ball to each other even as they battle for the job. I have no idea who will win the position. But... Avery Bradley is not ready physically. He'll likely be out for a while. That probably helps Wafer. I don't have a clue what's going to happen. The Celtics might even choose to cut them both.
