West, the 6'9, 240 pound anchor in the paint, played at Xavier until 2003 when he was drafted 18th overall by the Hornets. West set the foundation for an Elite 8 team a year after his departure, and led the Musketeers to 94 wins as the star player. West averaged 20.1 points and 11.8 rebounds a game his senior year, which earned him the National Player of the Year award.
When West joined the ranks of the NBA, he teamed up with Chris Paul to form a formidable duo of young rising stars. West was named to the All Star team 2 times in 2007-08 and 2008-09, when he averaged over 20 points and 8 rebounds each of those seasons. With the Hornets rebuilding in 2011, West joined the upstart Indiana Pacers and immediately guided them to the playoffs. West is enjoying another rock solid season in his contract year, scoring 17.1 points and rebounding 7.7 missed shots per game. West could cash in big time this offseason after signing the 2 year deal worth $20 million. I definitely see him sticking with Indiana for as much as a 50% pay increase this time around.
West never had much playoff experience in the past. He has made it to the Conference Finals for the first time. West made the first round of the playoffs with the Hornets, but in each of his 2 seasons with the Pacers, he has made it deeper and deeper into the most important rounds. West made the huge play to swat away a pass from LeBron James to clinch Game 2 of the NBA Semifinals. Right behind Paul George, West has been the key scorer for the Pacers. West has averaged 16.4 points per game in the playoffs while shooting over 49 percent from the field. He has also averaged 6.9 boards and 2.1 assists. At times, West has had to guard the best player on the court in MVP LeBron James. He has done a masterful job in those situations, which come sparingly because of the massive amount of energy it takes to defend James.
If the Pacers are going to pull an upset and have a chance to win their first ever NBA Championship, David West is going to continue to have to be the leader on the court. He is the oldest starter on the team, and has the most experience being the top dog on a team. West keeps his young teammates in check and is the heart and soul of Frank Vogel's strategy. West can take advantage of mismatches in the paint against the Heat because he is more powerful than Chris Bosh and more athletic than Chris "The Birdman" Andersen. The Pacers are surprising a lot of people across the nation right now, and the 32 year old power forward and former Musketeer David West has a lot to do with the team's playoff run.
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