Should Indiana Pacers Deal David West Before 2015 NBA Trade Deadline?
With the NBA trade deadline approaching, the Indiana Pacers have plenty of decisions to make about their present and future.
None of those are quite as complicated as whether or not to trade David West.
The Pacers have talked publicly about pushing for the playoffs this season, and continuity has been a big part of their success over the past few seasons. With Paul George planning on returning sometime in March, sticking with that plan seems more and more likely.
However, West has a player option for next season, so there is the possibility, although extremely remote, that he could depart after this campaign, leaving the Pacers with nothing in return. Even if he stays, the aging of his game has decreased his effectiveness in some key ways despite some healthy-looking numbers.
Having him in the lineup for the next two years may not be the best thing for the Pacers' present or future despite what he's meant to the past.
West is having a career year in several areas. His assist percentage is a career-high 21.1 percent, and his total rebound percentage is 13.7 percent, the highest it's been since the 2004-05 season. As usual, his jump shot is a potent weapon.
Here's West's shot chart for this season.
He has continued to be a deadly mid-range shooter, but there have been some subtle, negative changes.
Compare the above to West's shot chart for the 2012-13 season, his first post-lockout year in Indiana, and his Pacers' peak in both usage rate and true shooting percentage.
You can see how much more active he was in and around the paint when he first joined the Pacers. That season, 56 percent of his shot attempts came within 10 feet of the basket. This year, that number is down to 35.8 percent. His free-throw rate is also at a career low. Both numbers show that he's doing less and less work on the interior.
West is a very good mid-range shooter, but, all things being equal, gives his team much more efficiency when he's scoring around the basket. The more his offensive activity moves away from the basket, the less efficient he is overall.
Some of the change in his offensive patterns is about spacing the floor around Roy Hibbert. However, it also has to do with trying to preserve whatever health and utility is left in a 34-year-old power forward whose best days are behind him.
West provides a certain measure of spacing, but things are still often choked off around Hibbert in the post. Having a power forward with three-point range could really open the floor for Hibbert and driving lanes for George and George Hill.
That's not to say West is in any way responsible for the difficult season the Pacers have been having—that's a shared blame, most of which can be laid at the feet of injuries. But as he's aged, and his versatility and effectiveness have declined, West has made it harder for the Pacers offense to peak.
West is not one to make excuses, something he talked about specifically with reporters after a win against the Orlando Magic in late January, as reported by Jon Washburn of 8 Points, 9 Seconds:
"There’s a certain way you need to conduct and carry yourself and be, and you don’t compromise on that. You don’t compromise your integrity and you don’t compromise who you are. Things you’ve built in terms of the legacy you want to believe. You walk around excuse free, and rather than trying to find excuses, you try to find solutions and be accountable.
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West has meant a tremendous amount as an emotional leader but in terms of on-court impact, he is not the player he was when he first joined the Pacers. The case for trading him really revolves around being proactive in reshaping the next iteration of this team.
Even if the Pacers keep him and get a healthy Paul George back in time for a playoff push, they are still not winning a championship.
If he does pick up his player option, the West who returns next season will be one year older and one more year removed from his peak effectiveness. It seems almost certain that the Pacers would be looking for a different answer at power forward after that.
Making a trade now gives the Pacers a chance to get a reasonable return while his value is still high, while also allowing the club to begin searching in earnest for a power forward who can help blend the talents of Hibbert and George as the team reloads for its new version.
There is certainly interest in West, with Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders naming the Toronto Raptors as one interested party (h/t Scott Polacek, Bleacher Report):
"The Raptors are one of several teams sniffing around for a roster upgrade, specifically at the power forward spot. A few names continue to surface around league sources when talking about Toronto, the biggest being Indiana’s David West, the next is Chicago’s Taj Gibson, then Denver’s Kenneth Faried.
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At some point, the Pacers will have to move on from David West.
The parting will be difficult whenever it happens. Making a clean break allows them to begin the process of looking for his replacement early while wasting no time in restocking their core for another try at a title.
Continuity has been a big part of the Pacers' recent past. But I think it's time to explore trade options for West and take a more assertive approach to determining their future.
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