DALLAS – Delonte West knew the second that he looked down and saw the bone in his right ring finger popped out of the skin and shaped like a Z that he’d be out a while.

West, who missed most of last season in Boston because of a broken wrist, never wondered, “Why me?” The only question in his mind: “How long is it going to take to get back?”

West, who has given the Mavs valuable minutes at both guard spots, hopes the answer is only a few more weeks. He expects to get the pins out of his surgically repaired finger later this week and begin working out again after the All-Star break.

“I’m left-handed, so that’s not preventing me from doing the shooting drills, conditioning,” said West, who is averaging 8.3 points, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals in 22.7 minutes per game. “I’m taking it all in stride, man. With all these games, I’d like to be out there giving my guys some rest and getting ready for a deep run later in the season, but it’s one of those things.”

Given the circumstances, West is in remarkably good spirits. That started the moment he realized he suffered a serious injury last week against the Nuggets.

The finger looked so nasty that teammate Vince Carter recoiled in disgust when he saw it, something West has kidded Carter about in the locker room.

West, who mentioned that he watches the gory TV program “Spartacus: Blood and Sand,” walked off the court with his head up high and a straight face.

“You’ve got to keep rolling with it,” West said. “My first or second injury in the league years ago, I said, ‘Why me?’ But it’s all about keeping a positive mind frame, keeping it in stride. I think positive thinking promotes healing. If you stay in the dumps, the longer your injury is going to take. I’m doing my positive affirmations and my mental healing.”