Delonte West Deserves a Bigger Role for the Dallas Mavericks
Through the first 21 games of the regular season, it's become evident that combo guard Delonte West has been the greatest offseason pickup for the reigning NBA champion Dallas Mavericks.
When the team also picked up veteran scorers Vince Carter and Lamar Odom before the season began, nobody would have guessed that West would come in and steal their spotlight.
Carter began the season as the team's starting shooting guard, playing alongside his former New Jersey teammate Jason Kidd. Since then he's dropped to the third spot on the depth chart and has had trouble with a nagging foot injury.
A career-low 11 points per game out of him doesn't have fans in Big D as thrilled as they were just a few months ago.
Odom, who came into Dallas as the team's most exciting acquisition, has been one of the most disappointing players in the league this season.
Averaging career-lows in every major statistical category, his eight points per game is less than half of what he was able to put up during his rookie season with the Los Angeles Clippers. It would be a huge surprise if the Mavericks decide to bring him back next season.
And then there's Delonte West.
Dallas signed West to the veterans' minimum: $1.18 million for one year. Yet so far this season, he's playing like someone who deserves significantly more.
Throughout most of his career, West has been an excellent backup point guard, and he's done a fine job playing that same role for the Mavericks when called upon. Nowadays though, he's thriving as the team's starting shooting guard.
He's reached double figures in scoring nine times this season, including a 25-point performance on Monday in Dallas' blowout win over the Phoenix Suns.
Not only has he been one of the team's main scoring options, but Dallas head coach Rick Carlisle has praised his effort defensively as well. He averages 2.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game, and those numbers would only go up with more minutes.
As a team, the Mavericks' scoring numbers are down from last season. Yet due to the play of West and veteran forward Shawn Marion, Dallas ranks fifth in the NBA in points allowed at just 90.6 points per game.
West has only seen 22.4 minutes per game this season for the Dallas Mavericks, yet he's one of the main reasons for the team's recent success.
As much as I like Dallas' other guards like Carter, Roddy Beaubois and Domonique Jones, the Mavericks seriously need to give West more floor time. On any given night, West can do several different things to help the team win, which is tough to say about many of the Mavs' other guards.
