After year in Russia, Delfino glad to be back in USA -- with Bucks
Argentinian star grateful to Hammond for making deal

By Truman Reed
August 10, 2009

On the same day the Milwaukee Bucks introduced free-agent acquistion Hakim Warrick to the local media, general manager John Hammond was asked if there was another dimension he would like to add to the Bucks roster before training camp begins.

"Yeah, I think that, if we could, we'd like to add another wing-type player who is a handler, is a passer, and maybe most
importantly, is a shooter -- and a guy with 3-point range," Hammond replied.

Bingo! Or maybe more appropriately, Bango!

Just 18 days after Hammond expressed his objective, the Bucks announced that they had acquired guard/forward Carlos Delfino and guard Roko Ukic from the Toronto Raptors in exchange for forward Amir Johnson and guard/forward Sonny Weems, both players they had obtained in trades since the end of last season.

Delfino (6 feet-6 inches, 230 pounds) played for BC Khimky Moscow last season in the Russian-A Superleague and averaged 10.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.1 steals in 26 games.

In 10 Eurocup contests, the 26-year-old swingman registered 13 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per outing while shooting 41.7 percent from 3-point distance for the Eurocup finalists.

Delfino, a native of Sante Fe, Argentina, launched his professional career in Argentina in 1998. In 2000, he began a four-year stint in the Italian League.

Selected by Detroit in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft, Delfino played for the Pistons from 2004-07 before being dealt to Toronto prior to the 2007-08 season.
He enjoyed his best NBA statistical season in 2007-08 when he averaged 9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists for the Raptors while connecting on 38.2 percent (120-314) from 3-point range.

Delfino earned a gold medal as a memnber of Argentina’s national team in the 2004 Olympics in Greece and a bronze medal in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Delfino welcomed the deal, which came after his Russian league contract was bought out. The man who engineered the deal on the Bucks end was Hammond, who was Joe Dumars' right-hand man in Detroit when the Pistons selected Delfino in the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft.

When Delfino arrived in Milwaukee and met the media for the first time, he expressed his excitement over the trade and his gratitude to Hammond for making it happen.

"I'm excited about it," Delfino said. "I'm very happy because I was around the league for four years, then moved to Russia, and now I'm coming back to America. It's a great opportunity, a great situation for me.

"I know John (Hammond). He's a person I trust. He knows me since Day One, when I couldn't even speak English."

Delfino signed a lucrative contract last year to play in Russia, but a variety of factors -- many created by the global financial crisis -- directed him back to the United States and the NBA. Several Russian teams were experiencing severe financial problems, and Delfino felt the time was right to make a move.

That took some time, but he's glad it happened.

"I got out of my contract last week, five or six days ago," Delfino said. Aug. 20. "It went really fast those last few days. But it was something we were talking about and trying to create for the last month or so. We finished our season at the end of June, and we didn't have any solution or conversation for like two months. The market was moving, and teams were changing.

"When I got the call from John, I was really happy. It's great to know somebody's thinking of you and doing everything possible to try to do something good for you, and that they still believe in you. It was a great situation, and I was lucky because everything worked out with my Russian team."

Delfino elected not to burn any bridges between Milwaukee and Russia. He chose to put the best possible construction on his turbulent season overseas.

"It's a different world," Delfino said. "In a year that was problematic for me, I tried to see the good part. I learned many things -- a different way to play defense or offense, things that can help me in the future here.

"It was a great situation at the time, then things change. In the future, I will take more care about it."

One of the major reasons Delfino opted to sign with his Russian team last year was that it was a quick deal that facilitated the continuation of his involvement with the Argentinan national team.

"At the time I signed the contract, it was a great situation for me, because it was a way I would be able to play for my national team, and we won the bronze medal (in Beijing)," he said. "So it was a great situation. But after the long season and all the problems and everything, I was a little disappointed about it.

"I'm happy to be back here now, and I don't want to focus on the past. I'm really happy about the opportunity to be here with the Bucks."

The Bucks are getting a team player who will approach his role on the team in much the same way he does with Argentina's team.

"I think this is a good opportunity for me here," he said. "I will work in order to try to get those minutes. Teamwork is something we all need to do every day, in order to do what's good for the team. I've been with other teams that have approached things that way, and those teams go farther.

"Playing for Argentina, we have many stars on the team, but we don't worry about who plays and who doesn't, or who plays where. I'm going to try to do my best for my team here, just like I have with my national team."

Argentina's commitment to team basketball has led to a rich tradition of success -- most recently the Olympic gold-medal conquest in 2004 and the bronze-medal finish in 2008.

"Fortunately the guys we have in that group are friends off the court," Delfino said. "You see all the names and skills on that team, but when we get on the court, we're not thinking about minutes, or our skills. All we think about is winning. That's the main thing. We've had a chance to win many things.

"The team will be playing in a couple weeks in Puerto Rico. Sometimes you'll see Manu Ginobili score 30 points, and other times he'll handle the point-guard situation. Or (Andres) Nocioni will move over the play the '4' spot. Those situations are what lead to winning situations, so that's how we play."

When informed that Bucks management was hoping he could complement Michael Redd as a perimeter threat, the humble Delfino smiled and said, "Yeah. Michael is here, and I am here (motioning with his hand high and low). But I can help. I like to do many different things. I know that in time, I will be able to do that with a new team."

Delfino was asked if he considers himself more of a small forward or shooting guard.

"I don't know," he said. "If I had to really tell you, for size I'm a '3.' But I like to do everything, and sometimes I play the '2.' We were pushing the ball in Toronto, and sometimes they'd even use me at the '1,' so I'm a guy who likes to do everything -- whatever I can do to help the team.

"I think defining my position will depend a lot on what the coach wants from me and how I can help the team."

Delfino spoke with Bucks head coach Scott Skiles shortly after the trade was completed, and he looks forward to working with him.

"I talked to Coach Skiles a few days ago before departing from Argentina for the U.S.," Delfino said. "I know he has a great reputation. I haven't talked to anyone about him since I knew I was coming to Milwaukee. I should have the opportunity to call Nocioni, who's a good friend of mine. He played for Skiles in Chicago.

"But I like to have my own experiences with people and understand how they work, for myself, for my point of view. I had talked about Coach Skiles in the past, when Nocioni was playing for him in Chicago, and I always had good references about him and his work ethic. I really expect to have a good situation here."

Delfino realizes he is joining a team with a wide array of international players. The Bucks roster includes products of Australia, Turkey, The Netherlands, Cameroon and Croatia, and Charlie Bell, Brandon Jennings and Joe Alexander have all lived overseas.

"I was wondering what kind of language Coach Skiles is going to speak to talk to the team," Delfino said with a laugh. "For the international guys, it's good, because we all grew up playing the FIBA rules. But at the same time, we're here for a reason, and that's to play NBA basketball. I think it's a great mix.

"We do have a lot of international guys, so we should be able to mix some things and play great basketball together. Coach Skiles likes to run the court, and that's the kind of basketball we played growing up, so I'm looking forward to that."

The running of the Bucks will begin soon.