Delonte West Carving Nice Niche in Jason Kidd's Absence

No Jason Kidd, no problem for the Dallas Mavericks the past three ballgames. After Kidd went down with an apparent back injury against the San Antonio Spurs in the worst loss of the season, the Mavericks have climbed back to win three straight.

The past two come in the midst of back-to-back road games against the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics, the most recent a late victory over the aging original Big Three.

The three-game win streak is an encouraging sign for a team that looked lost in San Antonio, but hopefully not lost in the analysis is the play of guard Delonte West.

Twitter rant aside, the guy can play. The seven-year veteran from St. Joseph's has been more well known for his off-the-court incidents and drama the past few seasons, but his play since Kidd's absence has been a key reason the Mavericks haven't collapsed in the wake of losing a Hall of Fame caliber point guard.

He's always been a talented guy, running around with Jameer Nelson in college and LeBron James until the whole mother incident forced him out of Cleveland. But those memories of playoff candor and solid guard play seem few and far between in comparison to his bi-polar illness and recent White House debacle.

But in the last three games, West has totaled 29 points, 17 assists and nine steals in roughly 25 minutes a night. While those totals aren't overly impressive, his play on the court is a major reason why the team defense and offensive penetration keep improving as the season goes on.

When watching West run the pick and roll with Dirk Nowitzki, Lamar Odom, Shawn Marion or Ian Mahinmi, it's easy to see that he has a good knowledge of the lanes and space it takes to be an effective passer and scorer in Rick Carlisle's offense.

Not only that, but his defensive presence makes Mavericks fans forget about the prolonging need for a hardcore perimeter defender. He is slowly taking on the role that DeShawn Stevenson patented in Dallas last season; he is a tough guy who goes 110 percent at both ends of the court.

It's especially encouraging considering the Mavs added a three-game win streak while Kidd allows his back to rest and his conditioning to recover after a stretch where the Mavs have played seven games in 11 days.

If West can avoid the tabloids and continue to carve up defenses until Kidd returns, maybe the Mavericks will continue to add consistency to the long list of things they need when talking title defense in the coming months.