New Orleans Hornets forward David West, recovering from ACL surgery, is taking the NBA lockout in stride. In an interview with USA Today , West said it is possible that the start of the 2011-12 season could be delayed due to the lockout. But he said he is prepared, even though he opted out of the last year of his contract. “We’ve been preparing for this since we signed the extension (to the collective bargaining agreement) in ’05,” West told the newspaper. “As rookies have been coming in, we were telling guys, ‘Save your money.’” West chose to opt out after tearing his ACL on March 24, ending another solid season. He averaged 18.9 points and 7.5 rebounds, his sixth straight year averaging at least 17 points and seven rebounds. One of the more desirable free agents on the market, West said he is not concerned with how his injury and a new labor agreement may impact his free agency. “It’s like when I was going through my extension a few years ago,” West told the newspaper. “Reporters were asking me, ‘Is it hard for you to practice?’ I’m saying, ‘Dude, there’s so many people who are dealing with far greater than a million-dollar contract.’ It’s not something I’m stressing about.” West has a similar outlook on the lockout. “It’s the same thing,” he said. “It’s not the end of the world.”