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04-14-2005, 11:52 AM
http://www.freep.com/sports/pistons/pnotes14e_20050414.htm
PISTONS CORNER: Delfino sounds off on Coach Brown
April 14, 2005
BY PERRY A. FARRELL
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
Carlos Delfino may need to either get a hug from coach Larry Brown or realize that the NBA is different from the European game.
Delfino told the Argentine newspaper Clarin in a story translated by the Free Press that he believed his relationship with Brown is not on good terms and he considered going home after an incident at Toronto in which Brown pulled Delfino and the rest of the reserves after a big lead shrank to six points.
But after the Pistons' 103-94 victory over Orlando on Wednesday night it appears that Brown will offer the hug.
"This season hasn't really been fair to Carlos," Brown said of Delfino's troubled season. "The more we can get him out there with the other players I think he'll make progress. I was really encouraged with him, so hopefully we can build on that. I do think it would be an advantage to us to have certain guys on the bench get some minutes, especially Carlos."
Those comments are a far cry from April 3 when Brown lashed out at Delfino for his play late in a game versus the Raptors. Delfino made a bad pass and jogged down court while the Raptors were rallying.
"He took out all of us, but he came especially at me," Delfino said in the story in which he spoke by telephone from Chicago. "He didn't curse me out, but he reacted at me very angrily. And I answered him. I cursed him" -- in Spanish, according to the story.
Delfino said he later apologized to Brown and "told him what I felt. He wanted me to run at 100 percent when the whole world knew that I couldn't do it. I was disqualified for something that I could not do. These days, if I play, I need to do it for 10 minutes because I need one or two to get warm."
When asked if the relationship could be repaired, Delfino said: "To me, it was never a big deal, but now, he doesn't even greet me. The relationship is cut.
"I wouldn't be surprised if Brown removes me from the list to play in the playoffs. I know that I'm not going to enter much in the rest of the season. Last week I had the urge to go home."
Delfino played 20 minutes Wednesday and struggled with his shot, going 0-for-6 from the field, but he had six rebounds and scored three points.
At one point, with 6:53 left in the game, Brown pulled Delfino, talked to him on the sideline and put him back in.
"Right now I'm never even thinking about the playoffs," Delfino said Wednesday. "I don't even know if I'll play. I'm just trying to get some minutes and get out there and play. I'm just trying to get better.
The organization plans to keep him active in case anything happens to Tayshaun Prince or Richard Hamilton.
Delfino's first year in America and the NBA has been a painful learning experience, especially with a right knee injury that kept him out from Dec. 11 to March 18.
Arnie Kander, the team's strength and conditioning coach, said Wednesday during the team's shoot-around that Delfino's knee is fine and part of his problem is mentally getting over the fact that it would never feel the same as it did before the two knee surgeries, one in Detroit and the other in Argentina.
PISTONS CORNER: Delfino sounds off on Coach Brown
April 14, 2005
BY PERRY A. FARRELL
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
Carlos Delfino may need to either get a hug from coach Larry Brown or realize that the NBA is different from the European game.
Delfino told the Argentine newspaper Clarin in a story translated by the Free Press that he believed his relationship with Brown is not on good terms and he considered going home after an incident at Toronto in which Brown pulled Delfino and the rest of the reserves after a big lead shrank to six points.
But after the Pistons' 103-94 victory over Orlando on Wednesday night it appears that Brown will offer the hug.
"This season hasn't really been fair to Carlos," Brown said of Delfino's troubled season. "The more we can get him out there with the other players I think he'll make progress. I was really encouraged with him, so hopefully we can build on that. I do think it would be an advantage to us to have certain guys on the bench get some minutes, especially Carlos."
Those comments are a far cry from April 3 when Brown lashed out at Delfino for his play late in a game versus the Raptors. Delfino made a bad pass and jogged down court while the Raptors were rallying.
"He took out all of us, but he came especially at me," Delfino said in the story in which he spoke by telephone from Chicago. "He didn't curse me out, but he reacted at me very angrily. And I answered him. I cursed him" -- in Spanish, according to the story.
Delfino said he later apologized to Brown and "told him what I felt. He wanted me to run at 100 percent when the whole world knew that I couldn't do it. I was disqualified for something that I could not do. These days, if I play, I need to do it for 10 minutes because I need one or two to get warm."
When asked if the relationship could be repaired, Delfino said: "To me, it was never a big deal, but now, he doesn't even greet me. The relationship is cut.
"I wouldn't be surprised if Brown removes me from the list to play in the playoffs. I know that I'm not going to enter much in the rest of the season. Last week I had the urge to go home."
Delfino played 20 minutes Wednesday and struggled with his shot, going 0-for-6 from the field, but he had six rebounds and scored three points.
At one point, with 6:53 left in the game, Brown pulled Delfino, talked to him on the sideline and put him back in.
"Right now I'm never even thinking about the playoffs," Delfino said Wednesday. "I don't even know if I'll play. I'm just trying to get some minutes and get out there and play. I'm just trying to get better.
The organization plans to keep him active in case anything happens to Tayshaun Prince or Richard Hamilton.
Delfino's first year in America and the NBA has been a painful learning experience, especially with a right knee injury that kept him out from Dec. 11 to March 18.
Arnie Kander, the team's strength and conditioning coach, said Wednesday during the team's shoot-around that Delfino's knee is fine and part of his problem is mentally getting over the fact that it would never feel the same as it did before the two knee surgeries, one in Detroit and the other in Argentina.