Delk's long idleness ends By SEKOU SMITH The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 02/09/06 Tony Delk's game-day ritual of playing one-on-one with Hawks assistant video coordinator John Beckett on the Philips Arena practice court is no longer necessary. Delk is rejoining the playing rotation after watching all but one of the Hawks' first 47 games this season wearing a sport coat. When Tyronn Lue sprained his right knee at practice Monday it forced the veteran point guard onto the inactive list for at least a month. It also forced the Hawks to make a decision about Delk, a 10-year veteran in the final year of his contract, squeezed out of the mix by an overload of perimeter players and an emphasis on the development of the franchise's young talent. But after a meeting with Hawks coach Mike Woodson after practice Wednesday, both Delk and Woodson spoke in glowing terms about his return to action — even though there's a good chance Delk could still be dealt to another team by the Feb. 23 trade deadline. "All that animosity I had before is in the past," said Delk, who is set to make his season debut when the Hawks play in Seattle on Friday. "I'm just happy to see another year and happy to see the birth of my child. It's time to move on and try and help this team get some things done." Delk's wife, Margie, gave birth to their second daughter, Trinity, last week. The immediate task for Delk now is getting back into game shape. He's practiced all year and knows the Hawks' offensive and defensive sets inside out, and he was the team's third-leading scorer last season. "I've got some years left," said Delk, 32. "And I'll do whatever I can to help this team, and at the same time I can definitely be showcased, because if not this team, I can help somebody else. It's not just about right now, it's about the future. I've got a family to take care of, too, and that's the most important thing for me right now." Delk's inactivity was tough for a self-described "old-school coach" like Woodson. Watching young players learn on the job while there is experienced help watching from the bench can give a coach gray hairs. But the dilemma, developing young players at the expense of a veteran in his contract year, is not new. "It's going to hit everybody," Delk said. "Like I tell the young guys, we all were young, too. I was Salim Stoudamire once. My thing is, if a guy still can play, that makes all the difference in the world. If he's on his real downside, when it's obvious he can't do what he once did, that's another story. But if a guy still can play, you make somebody beat him out. Make somebody take it from him." Woodson understands completely, having bounced around to several teams during his 11-year playing career. "We have so many perimeter guys, and that's been our problem all year," Woodson said. "My concern has never been can he play. I know he can still play. "The fact that he's back in uniform means a great deal to our team. But that was tough on me because I'm for older guys who have paid their dues and done all the right things." 资料来源 http://www.ajc.com/hawks/content/sports/hawks/stories/0209hawks.html --

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