Past Fantasy Outlooks

Both of the past two seasons, West decided to forgo more lucrative contract offers to sign deals with contending clubs for the veteran’s minimum, as he prioritized collecting his first NBA title over longer-term financial security. After striking out on those efforts with the Spurs in 2015-16, West latched on with the Warriors in 2016-17 and was able to hold the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the first time in his 14-year career. Of course, joining a star-studded roster meant that West would have to sacrifice production, and the big man saw his playing time drop to a career-low 12.6 minutes per game while manning a spot on the Warriors’ bench. The lack of playing time made it almost impossible for West to provide meaningful value to fantasy owners, but he was an excellent fit with the second unit, as his ability to knock down jumpers and willingness to move the ball ensured the Warriors didn’t miss a beat when Draymond Green or Kevin Durant were resting. West ended up re-signing with Golden State on another minimum deal in July, putting the 37-year-old in line to fill a limited role off the bench once again in what could be the final year of his career.

After missing the first month of the 2014-15 season with an ankle injury, West completed the rest of the season with middling numbers compared to his career production, possibly signaling the toll age has taken on the 35-year-old forward. West averaged 11.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.7 blocks, and 0.7 steals in 29 minutes per contest through 66 games with the Pacers. This will be West's 13th NBA season, and with a crowded Spurs frontcourt that includes Tim Duncan, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Boris Diaw, it's unlikely that West's minutes will be anywhere near what he saw with the Pacers last season. Given coach Gregg Popovich's tried-and-true system of resting his aging veterans during the regular season, it's very likely that West's minutes will be limited in accordance with the playing time and rest given to Aldridge, Duncan, and Diaw. West opted out of a $12 million salary with the Pacers this season to sign a veteran-minimum deal with the Spurs in hopes of finally getting his mits on an NBA championship. Though he won't likely be a force in most fantasy leagues, West should have great value off the bench for the Spurs, and if injuries were to befall either Aldridge or Duncan, West could become standard-league relevant while they're out.

West was the Pacers' enforcer and a steady source of scoring and rebounding last season. Although his numbers dropped slightly in 2013-14, in comparison to his 2012-13 production, West's counting stats could be set for a positive spike this season. The Pacers lost both Paul George (injury) and Lance Stephenson (signed with Hornets) this offseason, their two leading scorers from last year. As a result, coach Frank Vogel has indicated that he plans to run the offense though West and fellow big man Roy Hibbert this season, likely resulting in production increases for both players. Even though the Pacers brought on Rodney Stuckey and C.J. Miles to help fill the void left by George and Stephenson, early signs have pointed to the big men picking up most of the slack. With an expanded role, West will surely improve upon his mere eight double-doubles from last season, and he could serve as a sneaky sleeper in fantasy drafts. The soon-to-be 34-year-old is entering his 12th NBA season, but he's been durable for most of his career and should be capable of carrying a larger load without incident this season.

In his second season with the Indiana Pacers, West was able to re-emerge back into the dominant offensive force he had been with the New Orleans Hornets over his first eight seasons. After averaging just 12.8 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks in his 2011-12 campaign, West improved across the board with 17.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.0 steal and 0.9 blocks per game last season. Offseason acquisition Luis Scola may back up some of West's minutes, but this is not likely going to hinder him from having another effective season. The veteran will head into the coming season at 33 years of age, perhaps allowing him to have a few more fantasy relevant years at the tail end of his career. West's offensive fluidness and versatility, both in the low post and high post, capped with his ability to shoot from mid-range, will undoubtedly allow him to put up points on the board. If West can continue to stay healthy, he will be a solid fantasy asset once again.

One year into a two-year deal in Indiana, West experienced drops in several major categories. He averaged 12.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 10.8 shots per game--all lower than his career averages. Coming off knee surgery, West benefitted from the lockout and was ready when the regular season tipped off in December, though he clearly struggled early on. He was brought along at a measured pace, averaging just 29.2 minutes per game, a career-low as a full-time starter in the NBA. However, once the playoffs hit and the Pacers needed his playoff experience, West played nearly nine more minutes per game. Not lining up with Chris Paul had an effect, that’s for sure, but he also wasn’t a top option offensively. Danny Granger and Roy Hibbert led the team in shots, and we suspect the Pacers to develop Hibbert even more after the center signed a four-year deal in the offseason. Third-year shooting guard Paul George should get more looks this season as well. One more year removed from surgery should improve West’s mobility, which will translate to more rebounds and more attacks on the hoop for free throws. But a return to the scoring averages he put up with the Hornets--when he averaged at least 17.1 points as a full-time starter--is not likely to happen.

West once again flew under the radar, putting together another quietly productive season. The eight-year vet finished his fifth consecutive season averaging over 18 points and 7.5 rebounds. His consistent mid-range game remained effective, as West drained over 50 percent of his shots from the floor for the second straight season. While down from his career clip of 83.9 percent, West still remained one of the better free-throw shooters at power forward, nailing 80.7 of his attempts from the charity stripe. His defensive production also hovered around the same career marks, as he averaged 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks. West signed with the Pacers in December, where he'll player alongside Danny Granger and get his feeds from Darren Collison. While West surely benefited from playing alongside Chris Paul the past six seasons, he actually produced excellent numbers when Collison took over in New Orleans due to a Paul injury. West is currently recovering from reconstructive knee surgery, which could keep him on the shelf until January 2012.

Fairly anonymous for a player with his resume, West is a highly skilled big man whose consistent mid-range jumper makes him an excellent complement to Hornet superstar guard Chris Paul. West's production was off slightly last season, perhaps due to Paul's extended absence, as West failed to top 20 points per game for a third straight year. But he did average a very respectable 19.0 points, made over 50 percent of his shots from the field and continued to be one of the league's best big men from the line, sinking 86.5 percent of his free throws. That free throw shooting makes up, in part, for West's sub-par production in other traditional power forward categories; West averaged just 7.5 rebounds per game last season – one full rebound off his 2008-09 average – and blocked 0.7 shots. But he did post a new career high with 3.0 assists per game. With Paul back and healthy this season, look for West to bounce back a bit in 2009-10, though it remains to be seen if the Hornets' move to a more speed-oriented game – driven in part by the acquisition of Trevor Ariza – will affect West's overall production or role in the offense.

West has been pretty much the same player during each of the past four years, though he has increased his scoring average every season in that stretch. He’s also a fantastic free throw shooter, making 88.4 percent of his freebies last year, which tied for eighth-best in the NBA. Among the top-20 free throw shooters in the league last season, West was the only one who averaged at least 8.5 rebounds, as he possesses a rare combination of size, strength and touch. West’s game is far from flashy, but it’s extremely effective, and with Chris Paul often finding him in position to succeed, he’s flourished as New Orleans’ number-two option. Tyson Chandler is out as the team’s starting center, but newly acquired Emeka Okafor offers nearly an identical skill set, so the switch should barely affect West’s fantasy value. Expect more of the same from the underrated West in 2009-10.

West might be the most anonymous elite power forward in the NBA. If he keeps playing the way he did last season, that will change in a hurry. West is the perfect low-post complement to the incomparable Chris Paul, and the two generate big numbers off the pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop. But West is also a highly skilled one-on-one player with an excellent first step, handle and mid-range jumper; get him isolated on the opposing four, and he’ll light him up, to the tune of 20.6 points per game and 48.2 percent shooting from the floor. Don’t foul him – he hits 85 percent from the line. He’s unlikely to hit that magic 20-and-10 mark -- not with Tyson Chandler gobbling up all the boards – but he managed a highly respectable 8.9 rebounds last season and a career-high 1.3 blocks. One reason West is relatively unknown: health. He’s missed significant time in two of his five NBA seasons, playing just 30 games in 2003-04 and 52 in 2006-07. Last year’s 76 games was his career high.

West missed 30 games last season due to injury, but when he was healthy he continued to improve upon his breakout campaign from the previous year. There was some concern that the presence of Tyson Chandler would eat into his boards a bit, but he dispelled those by posting a career-high 8.1 per game. With floor general Chris Paul healthy, West’s offense continues to improve (18.3 ppg). This offseason the Hornets brought in lottery pick Julian Wright, who, like West, is a bit of a SF/PF tweener. But Wright is still very raw, and his athletic/defensive/passing-based game actually fits well with West’s face-up power forward/scoring/rebounding-based game. Look for West to continue to produce well this season.

West came out of nowhere last season to become one of the better producing forwards in the NBA. In his first year as a starter, West used a solid mid-range game to score 17.1 ppg on 51% shooting from the field and 84% shooting from the line. At a slim 6-9, West is a smaller power forward, but he was able to use his quickness to score off the face-up, and he still managed to grab 7.4 rpg. The Hornets added Tyson Chandler as well as two lottery-pick big men to the front line, and also added sharp-shooting Peja Stojakovic as a free agent this offseason. The big men could eat into West’s rebound opportunities a bit, but with Peja and reigning Rookie of the Year Chris Paul on the perimeter, West may get even more high percentage shots this season.

In his third year playing backup to P.J. Brown, West is looking to make a bigger splash this year. With Brown getting old, West will have the opportunity to see more playing time if he shows that he is capable of handling it. West was hit with an injury last season (bone bruise in right knee), so he wasn't able to live up to his potential. When given starter minutes, West is able to put up low double-double numbers with rebounds and points. If a serious injury were to befall Brown, West could be a decent pickup.

West comes into the league at 6-9, 240. He small for his position at power forward, and will need time to adjust playing bigger, stronger NBA opponents. Although he is undersized, West is a good rebounder and defender. With solid post moves, and decent range on his shot, West has a chance of becoming a versatile power forward who can play inside and out. All that said, he will still need a year or two before he has a chance of becoming a dominate player. Don't expect too much production this year.