Dallas Mavericks: Why Delonte West Will Prove to Be Biggest Addition

After losing Tyson Chandler, Caron Butler, J.J. Barea and DeShawn Stevenson this offseason, things weren't looking to good for the reigning NBA champs heading into this season. 

In an attempt to make up for their losses with only a couple of weeks to work with, the Dallas Mavericks picked up veteran talents Lamar Odom, Vince Carter and Delonte West.

Odom and Carter were obviously the biggest names of the bunch, and many believed the two would be able to immediately break into Dallas' starting rotation and make an impact.

Unfortunately, that hasn't been the case so far this season.

Odom's numbers in both scoring and rebounding are nearly half of his career averages, and he has also seen a career-low amount of floor time. If he doesn't return to the quality of basketball Laker fans were used to seeing night in and night out, it's unlikely Dallas will bring him back for another year.

Carter started at shooting guard on opening day against the Miami Heat but, after struggling out of the gate, soon lost his spot to the other newcomer, Delonte West.

Upon his arrival in Dallas, many saw West as a solid backup to veteran point guard Jason Kidd. Instead, he's started at the two-guard position alongside Kidd. When Kidd missed a few games with a lower back injury earlier this month, West also did a fine job filling in as the starting floor general.

Dallas coach Rick Carlisle has grown fond of West, calling him the team's best defender. 

Due to the Mavericks' depth at the shooting guard position, West only sees around 22 minutes per game, but he's played well in those minutes. His ability to play both guard spots doesn't hurt, either.

West also came at a surprisingly low price. The Mavericks signed him to a one-year deal at the veteran's minimum, yet he's playing like somebody worth significantly more.

He's had a journeyman's career, as Dallas is his fourth team in nine years, but he seems to be playing like he wants to stick around in Big D a little while longer.

With Kidd likely to retire at season's end, it's entirely possible West could become the main man running the point for the Mavericks next season, given his good play keeps up. He could also stay at shooting guard, but throughout his career he's played mainly at the point.

However, there's a lot of buzz around the league that the Mavericks will be in pursuit of superstars Dwight Howard and Deron Williams once this season comes to an end. In order to sign both players, the Mavericks most likely would not re-sign any of their free agents. That would lead to the losses of Jason "The Jet" Terry, Odom, Carter, Kidd and West.

What's the most impressive about West in Big D is that he's been able to keep his name out of the press for the wrong reasons—at least to this point.

In 2009 while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, West was arrested on a weapons charge when police found two pistols and a shotgun hidden inside a guitar case in his vehicle. West plead guilty and was assigned electronic monitoring, community service and probation, as well as psychological counseling.

That arrest was apparently the reason West was unable to attend the team's recent visit to the White House to meet with President Barack Obama. 

It seems now that in Dallas West has his head on straight and is focused on basketball, which is definitely nice to see.

Hopefully for the Dallas Mavericks, Carter and Odom begin to pick their game up. But until that day, it's safe to say it is in fact the cheaper, yet more youthful Delonte West who has made the biggest impact on the court.