Consequences could be harsh for West, Cavs

The arrest of Cavaliers guard Delonte West on Thursday on gun charges brings up a myriad of questions.

Police charged West with two criminal counts of carrying a handgun, and issued him a traffic citation for driving "in excess of reasonable and prudent speed," Prince George (Md.) County records show.

West had a Beretta 9mm in his waistband, a Ruger .357 magnum strapped to his leg and a shotgun in a guitar case slung over his back. It was within his rights to carry the shotgun.

All three weapons were loaded.

Not only will West likely face suspension from the NBA, it's possible he'll have to do jail time.

Police seized his guns and his three-wheeled motorcycle. He was released from jail early Friday on his own recognizance. He is scheduled to appear in court Nov. 20. The Cavs are playing in Indiana that night.

Timberwolves guard Sebastian Telfair was suspended for three games for having a loaded gun in his possession.

Don't be shocked if West is not eligible to play for several games this season. Could his possible suspension be as long as 10 games? Are you glad the Cavs signed Anthony Parker now?

The NBA's collective bargaining agreement allows players to own licensed guns, but they can't carry them while attending any team function.

You might not want to hear this, but the majority of professional athletes carry guns. If they don't, someone in their entourage probably does.

Many of them feel they are needed for protection.

No one is quite sure where West was headed with that arsenal. He had enough firepower to do some major damage.

West's father, Dmitri West, told the Washington Post his son might have feared for his safety.

"All I can say is Delonte was looking behind his back and protecting himself," he said. "Bottom line is there's a lot of not-too-nice people out here."

If this was a lesser player, the Cavs might try to dump him. The fact that he rode a motorcycle, coupled with the gun charges, could be grounds for the Cavs to attempt to void his contract. After former Browns tight end Kellen Winslow Jr.'s motorcycle accident, fans in Cleveland are well aware of the potential pitfalls of such mishaps.

But West has become a key cog on the team. He's important to their defense and offense, and he plays well off LeBron James.

West, 26, has battled depression and is bipolar.

He's not a bad guy. He's not a Pacman Jones. He's a guy who has issues.

West recently was married and purchased a $1.05 million home in Fort Washington, Md., a suburb of Washington, D.C. He might be able to get past this incident, but he'd better have a very good lawyer.

source: By Bob Finnan