Fifth in the East behind Atlanta, all engines have been firing for the Milwaukee Bucks since the All-Star break and their acquisition of guard John Salmons from Chicago. Back in December the Bucks dug themselves into a deep hole and by mid-January they had dropped to tenth behind New York and Chicago. But they’ve been on the up-and-up after All-Star, winning 14 of their last 16 games as they surge into the playoffs.
Carlos Delfino’s numbers have been climbing this month as well. After playing in Russia during 2008-09, I thought Delfino came back looking like a different player this season and indeed he’s made some great progress. In his first year with Milwaukee, he’s shooting 41.1% from the field and averaging a NBA career high 10.8 ppg. In addition to grabbing five boards, the Argentinean native is good for a steal and a couple assists per game.
Though Delfino was of action against the Clippers last week due to an ankle injury, he’s been going strong since his return to the court. Not only can Delfino put the ball on the floor and slash into the lane, but he’s a threat from the perimeter as well. He knocked down four 3-pointers en route to 21 total points and seven rebounds on Saturday night, bumping the Bucks to a 102-97 win over the Nuggets. Delfino has been a significant factor in his team’s success so far this season – I expect him to fight hard and finish strong down the home stretch too.
23 points, 9 rebs, 5 assts and 2 steals lastnight…..not 2 mention a team high 43 mins…looking good czar 🙂