Is Delonte West The Cavaliers Missing Link?
Brian Windhorst, the excellent Cavaliers beat writer for the Cleveland Plain-Dealer, checks in with a column today wondering about the significance of Delonte West’s absence: The loss of West seems to be taking a toll on the Cavs that is greater than if he was sidelined with a sprained ankle. He’s practicing with them, he’s traveling with them, he’s warming up with them. Then he disappears into the locker room and the Cavs struggle on the floor in areas where he could certainly help. It isn’t something the team is used to and it isn’t something they seem to be dealing with easily based on their play thus far. “It definitely hurts us,” Mo Williams said. “Look at what happened with (Kevin Garnett) with Boston last year, it doesn’t matter the stature of the player, it is losing a valuable player. It’s evident we miss him.” The absence, according to Windhorst, has myriad implications for the Cavs, all of which stretch an already thin roster a little thinner. Maybe too much so, as perimeter
