David West: a man among boys

If you were playing against the Pacers from 2011 to 2015, the dumbest thing you could've done was pick a fight with David West.

During that stretch, D-West was the heart and soul of some of the best Pacers teams in recent memory. He spearheaded a great defensive team for four seasons. He helped the Pacers take LeBron's Heat to the limit in the 2013 East Finals as well as being the only team that could give Miami a run for their money.

When West was brought in before the 2011-12 season, I was excited to see an established post player alongside Roy Hibbert in the middle. West was twice named an All-Star during his days with the Hornets, while the Pacers didn't have any such player on their roster.

D-West made an immediate impact, making the Pacers seem tougher and more aggressive on defense. He fit in seamlessly with Frank Vogel's scheme and had a mid-range jumper that was basically automatic. As the league was getting softer defensively, West's tough guy attitude and bullying post moves stood out and made Pacers fans proud.

After two straight trips to the Conference Finals in 2013 and 2014, the state of the Pacers declined after Lance Stephenson left in free agency and Paul George broke his leg. In his final season with Indy, West was injured for part of the year but still managed to be effective when he was on the court.

At the conclusion of the 2014-15 season, West went ring-chasing and signed with the Spurs. Unfortunately for him, the Warriors hindered anybody else's title hopes by winning 73 games. Still, San Antonio won 67 with West contributing off the bench. In the playoffs, however, the Spurs fell to the last iteration of the Durant/Westbrook Thunder in the second round.

In the 2016 offseason, West signed with Golden State and got himself back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018. He retired this week, ending his career that began in 2003.

D-West will be remembered quite fondly among Pacers fans. I'll remember him as the enforcer on a tough squad and a guy that could put up 15 to 20 points any night with his bullish moves in the paint and his knockdown 15-foot jumper.

David West. A man's man.

Image credits: Slam, BT Sport