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October 16, 2012
DALLAS – Dallas Mavericks guard Delonte West has been suspended for "conduct detrimental to the team'' after a late Monday locker-room incident in which the guard "cut it loose,'' according to a source.
It is not clear if the incident occurred because West was not happy with his playing time in the Mavs 124-103 win Monday night over the Houston Rockets.
West scored two points and had two assists in 17 minutes.
West is part of a crowded backcourt in which newcomers Darren Collison and OJ Mayo start ahead of him. Younger players Dominique Jones and Jared Cunningham played most of the fourth-quarter minutes as the backcourt combo in sealing the win.
"Cut it loose'' would seem to be a polite way to describe an action so negative that Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said he was obligated to announce the suspension shortly after the game.
Carlisle neither described the incident nor specified a timetable for West's return.
The veteran West has been forthcoming about his bipolar disorder, which he manages with the help of medication. For the most part, the fan-favorite has been a positive for Dallas – and cited by Carlisle as such – in part due to his openness about his hard-knocks background.
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