Delonte West a No-Show at Cavs' First Training Camp Practice

After being arrested recently on a gun charge that raised more than a few eyebrows, Delonte West was all smiles at the Cavaliers' media day on Monday. He seemed ready to put the incident behind him, telling reporters, "I'm back taking my meds and everything," and that he was focused on basketball.

Unfortunately, the newly-found focus didn't last very long, as West didn't show up to the Cavs' first day of training camp practice.

And according to Brian Windhorst of The Plain Dealer, the absence was unexcused.

"On a personal note, you always hope he's doing well," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "But I have to continue looking forward and coaching this team. Whether it is Delonte or somebody else, if they miss practice and it is unexcused it will be handled internally."

There was no word whether the team had been in contact with West, and with a fragile situation like this one -- West has been battling a mood disorder, and missed part of training camp last season to deal with it -- it's likely something the team will keep very close to the vest.

It's clear that West is continuing to have some issues. But while the team obviously is going to try be sensitive to its player's situation, the reality is that to remain focused on the goal of a championship, they'll need to keep distractions like this one to a minimum if they hope to be successful.

It will be interesting to see exactly how long the Cavaliers will choose to deal with Delonte, in what is unquestionably a very important season for the future of the franchise.