David West doesn't do hype or hyperbole. He does reality, even when it's not what people particularly want to hear. That's why his comments on Oct. 1, Media Day for the Pacers, rippled throughout the nation.

On that day, the eve of the start of training camp for the Pacers, all we knew was that Lance Stephenson had signed with Charlotte and Paul George had broken his leg. The only logical viewpoint was that the expectations for a team that had reached the Eastern Conference finals the previous two seasons would have to be drastically downgraded.

“You have to give yourself a realistic starting point," West said then. "So obviously we can't be talking about competing for a championship, even being in title contention, we just have to talk about figuring out a way to get the best lineups on the floor, the best guys on the floor to give us a chance to compete.”

West was feeling every bit of his 34 years and 11 NBA seasons that day. He had never really planned to go beyond 10, and in fact had only signed on with the Pacers – twice – because he saw the potential for a championship. Now, it appeared he was stuck with a fading team in the twilight hours of his career. He had consistently stated he would retire after his contract expires at the end of next season, and that felt more certain than ever. In fact, he later acknowledged he probably would have retired in 2013 if the Pacers had won the championship then.

Oh, but look at him now.

Having sat out the first 15 games to rehab the ankle that was sprained in the pre-season, West returned to the Pacers for Friday's game with Orlando at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. And he returned a rejuvenated man. Not only one eager to get in on the excitement the young guys had been stirring up in his absence, but one who's revised his season expectations and perhaps even his long-term plans.

He started the game surrounded by four different players than the ones with whom he had finished last season, but fit in from the start. The very start. He scored on a layup on the Pacers' first possession, and had four points and three rebounds before two minutes had passed. He also had two fouls, though, the result of being a little overeager, and was replaced by Luis Scola. He finished with 18 points, six rebounds, four assists, a steal and a turnover in just under 24 minutes.

“I missed five or six (shots) that I shouldn't have missed, but that will come,” he said. “For not having played with these guys, I didn't want to create any issues, because they've been competing at a high level. I didn't want to come in and not carry my load.”

Hear that? West isn't the jaded veteran, frustrated and saddened by the way his career is winding down. He's eager to play with the young innocents he's been watching and advising for the past month.

“These guys compete and play hard, and they do that at a very high level,” he said. “They've won some tough road games by being competitive and engaged and having a fight about them, which is one of the reasons I was anxious to get back out there. You appreciate that. You appreciate how hard they've competed while being undermanned.

“I'm just feeding off these guys. I've watched them for the first month or whatever. We've got some good guys who can cut off the basketball, guys who can execute, so we're just going to keep getting better."

He said that with a lilt in his normally gruff voice. It's clear he's revised his realism.

As injured veterans return – C.J. Watson also came back on Friday and scored nine points on 4-of-4 shooting, Roy Hibbert could return for Saturday's game in Cleveland and George Hill is still a couple of weeks away with an injury coach Frank Vogel revealed in the pre-game to be a torn quad muscle – the continued improvement seems likely.

So, what does the Media Day realist believe the team's ceiling is now?

“I'll evaluate that when we get there,” he said. “I don't know. I'm going to enjoy this this year and try to do something special with this group. The thing that people had overlooked is that we're in the East, so we're not going to be out of it.

“Before the season (began) I didn't realize how hard these guys were going to play. Donald (Sloan) hasn't played major minutes in his career but all of a sudden he's out there. But he's a competitive dude. Solomon (Hill), he competes every single play. And that's inspiring. You want to get in the trenches with guys like that.”

And what of his long-range plans. Is he opening the door to playing beyond this contract?

“I guess,” he said, laughing.

That's a long way off, realistically, but West's renewed spirit is obvious. And so is the affection with which he's being received by his teammates. It's as if the old dog has been welcomed by an eager bunch of puppies, who will keep him engaged and active.

Sloan, whose locker is closest to West's, has seen it.

“The past few weeks, he's been watching us play and he's really been like, 'Oh, man, I'm ready to get back out there. We're right there.' I don't know if he'd say it, but he's changed from what he was thinking on Media Day.”

The Pacers, 7-9, are still a losing team. But they've won six of their past nine games, including impressive road victories in Miami, Chicago and Dallas. Injured veterans are starting to trickle in, adding bulk and substance to the spice of the younger guys, and nobody seems concerned about playing time or his role in the offense.

West looks ahead, full of optimism.

“We've just got to continue to grow,” he said. “We'll get George (Hill) back in a couple of weeks and we'll just keep improving. That's the biggest thing for us, getting better game to game.”