David West's Return Not the Answer Indiana Pacers Have Been Looking for
Despite a slew of injuries, the Indiana Pacers came out of the gate with a surprisingly strong start.
While most of their projected starting lineup rehabbed and recovered, players like Chris Copeland, Donald Sloan and Solomon Hill carried the Pacers to several gutsy wins.
That performance created plenty of optimism: If the end of the bench can hold down the fort until guys like David West return, the Pacers might keep themselves in playoff contention.
West has been back for seven games now, and the Pacers have won just one. In short, he has not been the answer they were looking for.
His return was supposed to be a real linchpin. He has been the Pacers' rock for the past three seasons, reliably competing on defense and carrying the offense through dry stretches.
West has not been playing horribly, his per-36 minute statistics from Basketball-Reference are fairly close to what he averaged last season:
| PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | FG% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014-2015 | 15.7 | 7.9 | 3.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 41.1% |
| 2013-2014 | 16.3 | 7.9 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 48.8% |
The biggest difference is the field-goal percentage. West's outside shooting is a pressure release valve for the Pacers offense. It provides some measure of spacing for penetration and gives everyone a target to throw the ball to when the shot clock is winding down.
You can see from West's shot chart that his jump shot has been fairly limited in effectiveness so far this season:
Obviously the shot volume is small everywhere because he hasn't taken many shots yet. But you can see he's been very inconsistent on his mid-range pick-and-pop attempts around the free throw line, and normally those shots are West's bread and butter.
Even more concerning is the lack of activity around the basket. Compare his shot chart from this season to last season's version:
Again, overall shot volume is much higher everywhere because he's had so few shot attempts this season. But you can see how much more active West usually is in and around the paint. In addition to this shot distribution pattern, he also isn't getting to the line. Last season he averaged 5.3 free-throw attempts per 100 possessions, per Basketball-Reference. This season that number is down to 1.7.
Both of these pieces are impacting the Pacers offense. West's game has been one-dimensional—on the perimeter—and he's still hasn't found his rhythm from the outside.
According to NBA.com, the Pacers offense has been 14.2 points worse per 100 possessions with West on the floor. That's a pretty remarkable drop for an offense that is already among the league's worst. Altogether, they are scoring just 85.5 points per 100 possessions with West on the floor.
The starting unit has been a big part of the problem, which West acknowledged to Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star after Wednesday night's loss to the Los Angeles Clippers:
"Our chemistry is not very good with that group. We've got to work on it. Thank God for those other guys, the second unit guys keeping some of these games close, because we just haven't been able to start the games well. We get down and really put the team in a bad way.
"
It's a small sample, but one of the players who appears to be suffering the most is Roy Hibbert. He was in the midst of a moderate offensive bounce-back from last season's struggles. With West on the floor, his field-goal percentage has dropped from 46.5 percent to 42.1 percent. His free-throw attempts per 36 minutes also dropped from 5.3 to 1.7.
Those two numbers are really important. A big piece of Hibbert's resurgence was playing strong on the interior. For whatever reason, he hasn't been able to do that as well with West back in the lineup. It's even gotten to the point where changes to the front-line rotation, one of the most reliable in the league over the past few seasons, may be on the horizon. Here's Mark Montieth from Pacers.com:
"Vogel isn't giving up on anyone. He believes West and Hibbert are lacking synergy rather than energy, the result of being surrounded by three different starters than the past two seasons, and that the talent is adequate to win games. Still, he's not opposed to making changes. Yes, he's stuck with players in the past, but not when the losses are piling up.
"
The Pacers need West on their front line, but only if he's working well. At his current level of production, he isn't punishing defenders for overreacting to ball-handlers on the screen-and-roll. He also isn't providing an additional weapon by posting up smaller players and bullying his way into baskets around the rim.
It certainly makes things difficult that most of the wings and backcourt players West and Hibbert are working with are largely new. Still, West's skill set and steady strength have always had the effect of making things easier on his teammates.
Right now, it's going the opposite direction.
West's skill haven't degraded that far, and a rhythm can be found.
The Pacers have to hope he finds it soon.
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