Delonte West on his absence from the NBA: ‘Everywhere I look, the joke is on me’

delonte west 2It’s kind of difficult to know where to go with this sort of self-reflection from West. On one hand, he’s right that an awful lot of the coverage about his trials and tribulations over the past few years have referenced his arrest, his on-court disciplinary issues (like, for example, sticking his finger in Gordon Hayward’s ear apropos of nothing and then laughing about his $25,000 fine), and his struggles with bipolar disorder. On the other, while not every incident represents an “episode,” those things are all undeniably part of West’s larger story; they’re going to get mentioned when recapping the valleys of his career, which is mostly what there’s been to write about Delonte West over the past year or so.

Similarly, it’s true that West’s combination of talents as a secondary ball-handler, floor-spacing outside shooter, determined defender on both point guards and shooting guards, and veteran role player with playoff experience could represent low-cost quality depth off the bench for a team with postseason aspirations. But it’s also true, and worth noting, that when he finally did get on the floor for the Legends in March, he shot 35 percent from the floor, went 2 for 10 from 3-point land and had nearly as many turnovers as assists during his eight-game D-League stay.

You can empathize with West’s desire for another chance at the NBA, but you also have to acknowledge that when he was offered one by the Legends, he didn’t report until about five weeks after he was acquired and then provided the kind of performance that doesn’t get NBA personnel bosses to overlook potential headaches. Like I said: It’s complicated. (It’s also probably worth noting, as West hits age 30, that he’s never played more than 71 games in a season in an eight-year NBA career, though Delonte told Twersky his body “is that of a guy who is 24 or 25” and that he believes he “can play this game 10 more years.”)

As someone who’s always loved West’s tenacity on the court, his defensive smarts, his ability to play a variety of roles depending on what schemes and matchups dictate, and his evident sense of humor, I’d love to see him back in the league, playing important minutes on a team of consequence in games that matter. But when Delonte follows up his promises to straighten up and fly right with the leveler, “I won’t give the media any more excuses,” I get a little more skeptical that we’re going to see that any time soon.

If West’s fortunate enough to get another chance with an NBA team, here’s hoping he proves that he’s worth keeping around. I’d much rather write about that than the stuff West doesn’t seem to like reading.

Article Appeared @http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/delonte-west-absence-nba-everywhere-look-joke-150018564.html

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