FanPost

Looking Towards West for Help in the East

The Knicks as presently constructed can very well be a solid playoff team next season, but perhaps there exists an alternate world in which they can potentially be better.

First, we have to make a handful of assumptions. In the wake of Paul George’s horrific injury -although it is obligatory for fans of the Knicks to abhor anything Pacer-related George was an exceptional player for a major part of last season and here is to hoping he is able to return to that form as quickly as possible - let us assume that the Pacers are seriously considering having a good old fashioned yard sale. Secondly let us assume, or at least, humor ourselves that either Andrea Bargnani or Amar'e Stoudemire could be part of a package that returns a player that will improve the team this upcoming season, and hopefully beyond if his body does not betray him. Doing so seems to stray from reality, so let us go ahead and assume we are not fully operating in reality for the time being, which makes things more fun anyhow, and that Knicks management, in some alternate realm, could perform such a coup. The last assumption is critical; the player of interest that the Knicks would be receiving in a supposed trade with the Pacers is none other than two-time All-Star (in the West no less) David West.

Screeeeeeeeeccchhhhhhh (or any other form of onomatopoeia that would convey our fun ride of assumptions coming to a startling halt). Doesn’t West have two years remaining on his contract, which you know, would bleed into our cherished cap room next offseason? Further, given his injury history that includes an ACL tear among other ailments, and his relatively advanced age - he turns 34 near the end of this month - can he realistically help the Knicks much after next season?

Despite his age, West has played in 66, 73 and 80 games during the last three seasons, albeit at slightly reduced minutes (the season in which he played 66 games was the 2011-12 lockout-shortened season). In short, West has been very durable, so there is legitimate cause to believe West could remain so for the duration of his contract. Speaking of which, although his contract extends beyond next season on its face, he has a player option for the final year that gives him ultimate discretion over whether he plays for the $12.6 million he would be owed or explores free agency a year earlier than initially expected. We have already seen the brilliance of Phil Jackson and the rest of Knicks’ management in similar cap-related situations, at least according to the man himself, and it would be easy and fun to further assume that given some success, West would be amenable to opting out to sign a longer deal at less money per year that leaves the Knicks some flexibility to sign an impact player in this hypothetical scenario. Under this assumption, West would have to be re-signed relatively quickly, lest his cap hold restricts the team’s flexibility more than his actual contract would. Perhaps the Knicks struggle even with him in the fold and a disgruntled West opts out with hopes of joining a contender on a cheaper deal, thus preserving the Knicks cherished cap space. There. Everyone would seem to be happy in this alternate realm so far - except maybe West who was assumed to be disgruntled in the latter instance.

Wait just a minute. We cannot expect to get David West and some filler for either Stoudemire’s expiring deal that doubles as a millstone or Bargnani’s awful contract alone, even in this highly presumptive alternate realm of fun and intrigue. Just as gravity would exist in this hypothetical world, these contracts would still remain very, very difficult to move. Does that mean the Knicks would have to include their 2015 first-round draft pick, an asset not seen in these quarters very often, or potentially even worse, package the exuberant Tim Hardaway Jr. to obtain the bruising power forward’s services?

This, admittedly, is a little troubling to ponder. So much of my personal renewed hope in the team comes with the impression that Jackson & Co. are really considering the future of the Knicks down the line with the moves they have made since taking over. Maybe it was the spin of a tweet by a reporter, but the Knicks actually bargained for more in the trade with Dallas and came away with actual picks that was used to seemingly great effect. Would the team not be reverting to old ways by essentially bartering a future, low-cost asset that could turn into something special in an apparent win-now move? On the other hand, Tim Hardaway already appears to be something special, or at least pretty close after a solid, not necessarily spectacular rookie campaign in which he was named to the All-Rookie Second Team. Trading him wouldn’t be ideal.

But here’s where we get to David West, the player, and not his contract or his age, and how this would fit into this incarnation of the Knicks under the vaunted Triangle Regime. West’s per-36 numbers certainly won’t make your jaw drop, but at 16.3 points and 7.9 rebounds, his production would seem to offset most, if not all that already comes from the players the Knicks would give up in a deal. I say this because of the defensive liability that all three of the Stoudemire, Bargnani and Hardaway grouping pose. In the last two seasons, albeit with the comfort of a well-above average rim protector at his side and the benefit of playing big minutes with three rangy wing defenders, West has posted a defensive rating of 99 each year and contributed 5.0 defensive win shares to last season’s top defensive team. Of course this doesn’t say a lot about his individual defense, rather it lauds the stingy Pacer defense of recent years. However, it does suggest that he is capable of not only playing his role in a team’s smart defensive scheme, but playing it well - something Knicks’ fans are not too accustomed to.

Outside of his statistical contributions, West brings certain intangibles that harken back to what seems like ten years ago, but only was the 2012-13 54-win team that featured veterans Kurt Thomas, Rasheed Wallace, Marcus Camby and a guy who does this. Although it may be common knowledge, it is worth mentioning that West would inject freebase leadership, toughness and professionalism into a locker room clearly devoid of such qualities last year. Maybe the team wouldn’t wear all-black to a close-out game with him around, or J.R. Smith wouldn’t un-tie opponents’ shoelaces (even though it was totally great whenever he did). This is all speculation of course; just because West has displayed these qualities so far during his career doesn’t mean his demeanor will mesh well with the Knicks’ players. Yet it is easy to envision his influence having a meaningful positive effect.


Okay, okay, but isn’t West a power-forward unfit to play small-ball center? And won’t this present an inefficiency for future versions of the Knicks in which Carmelo Anthony is used most optimally at this position? Although Anthony is markedly better as a stretch four - the team’s spacing improves and lineups featuring him as such generally have a higher offensive rating - we cannot expect him to grind and pound with other opposing bigs night in and night out as our primary option. Perhaps in the playoffs this is warranted, but one of the team’s main priorities during the regular season should be preserving Anthony’s health, especially as he begins his five-year super deal.

Further, judging from watching West’s play and analyzing his shot charts, he operates a ton from the high post when he isn’t pounding inside as the pick and roll finisher or as a post man. This conceivably would create more fluidity in the triangle offense with potentially unconventional high-low options between West and Anthony not unlike the pairing of Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant when Jackson last coached the Lakers. West may not be the passing savant that Gasol was/is, but he is effective enough from the high post to demand primary attention from opposing defenses, thus freeing up Anthony to punish smaller wing defenders in the lower post. Moreover, there is reason to believe that Anthony would be better suited at the three position in a triangle set-up, working in a Bryant mold with two traditional big men capable of operating in the pinch post and the low block. West would certainly fit one of those positions, with the only question being what other big on the Knicks could fill the other void. Perhaps Stoudemire if he isn’t involved in the deal, Samuel Dalembert if we aren’t already casting too much hope on him already, or Summer League standout - albeit for one game - Cole Aldrich. Maybe Jason Smith with his respectable mid-range shooting ability can operate in the high post with West and Anthony holding down the two block positions, although this may extend his playmaking abilities (does he have much?) too far.

http://stats.nba.com/playerShotchart.html?PlayerID=2561

I know as well as anyone still reading this (thanks Mom for supporting everything I do!) that this whole hypothetical scenario involving many assumptions and speculations is merely conjecture; I cannot definitively surmise that the Knicks would be willing to make such a move, nor that the Pacers would want to part with such a crucial part of their team identity as the team prepares for a tough road without Lance Stephenson and Paul George. Even further, I cannot accurately predict that West would actually be a good fit, both on the court and in the locker room. I do know that West has been a very good player for quite some time now, and because of that, any trade made by the Knicks to acquire him would intrigue me very much, even if it requires reverting to old, but still pretty recent form in trading future assets and/or young promising players. That is because this team’s future officially began when Anthony signed his new contract. How the Knicks will win during this time depends solely on their ability to put a surrounding cast around Anthony that complements his strengths, while also covering up his weaknesses. I think West fits this criteria, at least for the duration of his current contract even if he exercises his player option. Hopefully this allows you to consider and discuss the potential positives and negatives of such a deal, or at the very least reinforced the fun and intrigue that comes with making assumptions and speculations that may make some sense, but are ultimately fictitious.

Statistical data gathered from Basketball-Reference.com

Shot Chart that was referenced for this post courtesy of NBA.com and can be found here.