The Celtics' bench has been crippled by injuries in recent weeks, but there was one nugget of good news Monday: Delonte West again made it through an entire practice with the C's, and he's all set to return from his broken wrist Wednesday, when the New Jersey Nets visit the TD Garden.
"Delonte's going to play," coach Doc Rivers said Monday after practice. "The only thing is if [Tuesday] he goes through practice and gets sore, then we'll pull him. Because if he's not right, I'm not going to play him."
West missed the first 10 games of the Celtics' season due to a suspension, then made five appearances in November before breaking the wrist in a Nov. 24 win over the Nets.
The backup guard has been practicing full-tilt for the last week. Rivers hopes to get him 10 to 15 minutes Wednesday, just to help him get his timing back before the All-Star break. After the break, the C's embark on a four-game West road trip beginning next Tuesday at Golden State.
"It would be great to get him one game, so when we go out West, he's already had the first game out of the way," Rivers said of West. "He'll also understand how far away he is with timing and stamina, which will give him a gauge on how hard he has to work."
