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Given his absence for most of the preseason, Mike Brown has gone on record to say that Delonte West will not simply be injected into the starting lineup upon his return.

Following up an arrest with an ongoing battle with his bi-polar disorder, West has been given a carte blanche of sorts in terms of recovery time.  Knowing that he an important piece of this Cavaliers team, the front office is doing what they can to ensure that he returns to the team as healthy as possible.  But this move will also include working to get back into the starting lineup.  Coach Brown had the following concerning West and his immediate future:

”I’d like to see whatever is best for Delonte and I haven’t been involved enough in the process to say I’d like to see him out on the floor.  That would not be fair of me to say that not knowing everything going on.

If he gets playing time, great. If he doesn’t because there are things he’s got to get taken care of, great. I’m all for it.  He may get minutes. ‘He’s started for us before. Obviously, he won’t start for us. Can he earn it? Yeah, he can possibly earn it. I’d try like the dickens to get him some minutes.”

The signing of shooting guard Anthony Parker becomes this much more important for the Cavaliers.  Using a sliver of the mid-level exception for a guy that can be relied on to start is huge, and could be one of the more underrated signings of this offseason.  Until West earns his spot, Parker will provide the Cavaliers with a taller option on the wing; one that can shoot the long ball and is an above average passer for his size.

There have been conflicting reports as to what exactly forced the team to give West an excused leave of absence following the first preseason game.  What is known for sure is that West is in fact back with the team, and the team would love to get him some playing time over the course of the next two games leading up to opening night.  Also known for sure is that the Cavaliers fan base would also love to see West on the floor.  Many of his teammates have gone on record to say that playing basketball is what keeps West’s mind in check, so getting him out there may be another step towards recovery.

Keep in mind that West could still face some time off of the floor via suspension from the NBA following his weapons charges. 

For now, a second unit of Daniel Gibson, West, Jamario Moon, JJ Hickson and Zydrunas Ilgauskas does not look all that bad.  If things change in the near future, so be it. 

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Cavaliers fine tune in last 2 warmups [George Thomas/ABJ]

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(Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images)