Lance Stephenson arrested, reportedly pushed his girlfriend down a flight of stairs

There have been good vibrations in Indiana since the Pacers picked up Darren Collison to be their new point guard, but Lance Stephenson has just created an unmistakable cloud over the franchise. According to John Lauinger of the New York Daily News, Stephenson has been arrested for an altercation involving his girlfriend, and charged with third-degree assault:

Coney Island basketball star Lance Stephenson - a second-round Indiana Pacers pick in the June NBA draft - was busted yesterday for pushing his girlfriend down a flight of stairs, cops said.

Stephenson, 19, a legendary player at Brooklyn’s Abraham Lincoln High School, roughed up Jasmine Williams, 21, in the stairwell of her Brooklyn apartment building about 5 a.m., according to police. The 6-foot-5 rookie point guard’s blows sent Williams tumbling head-first down 10 steps, requiring her to be treated at a hospital for injuries to her head and neck, cops said.

While Stephenson’s horrible decision-making does affect the Pacers, this isn’t a basketball story. It’s one that involves a basketball player, mind you, but it’s a sad bit of news regarding a reprehensible criminal act. Any responsibility for punishment should come through the legal system rather than the source of his paychecks, which means the only decision left to make for the Pacers organization is how to proceed with Stephenson’s current employment. Innocent until proven guilty and all that, but Lance is in a fair bit of trouble, regardless.

How do the actions of Indy’s reserve point guard affect the team’s plans? Table it for now. Stephenson may think he was Born Ready for the NBA, but it’s clear that before he can begin tackling his weaknesses as a player, he should take a long look at Lance Stephenson the person. Maybe it’s a maturity issue, or maybe something worse, but incidents such as these suggest something awfully concerning about Stephenson.