It's been a long road to recovery for Celtics guard Delonte West, who broke his right wrist in a Nov. 24 game against the Nets and hasn't played since. But on Monday, West took a big step toward returning to the C's for the stretch run — he had his cast removed.
"I just got it off today," West said Monday night after the Celtics' win over the Timberwolves. "It feels stiff now, but it's not painful. I got great news from the doctors today — they said maybe three weeks of rehabilitation, and then I'll start working out."
West says he'll spend the next few weeks conditioning and slowly building up strength in his wrist. He'll need some time to regain his confidence handling and shooting the ball with both hands. West is a lefty, so he's already able to shoot with his dominant hand, but he'll need a lot of time to become an ambidextrous player again.
Exactly how much time is unclear. One estimate that's been thrown out there is a return around the All-Star break — the Celtics are off between Feb. 16 and 22 — but West isn't sure yet whether that's a reasonable goal.
"Honestly, I have no idea," he said. "I'm praying and I'm trying my best to get back before then. The trainers and the coaching staff, they're really not trying to rush me, but I think I'm rushing myself right now. I can't wait to get back out there. It's killing me being on the sidelines."
West still has a ways to go, but now that the cast is off, he can begin to accelerate his rehab process. Sometime next month, we may see him in Celtic green again.
"Today was day one," West said. "I got a lot accomplished, so today was a good day for me. It's all uphill from here."
