David West’s nickname could never be “The Flash.” He doesn’t ooze excitement. He doesn’t glow with glitz and glamour.
What he does do is produce. And produce. And produce some more.
And he doesn’t need flash, glitz or glamour to get the job done. He shoots jumpers from the elbows, plays well with his back to the basket, and sometimes finds himself driving the lane for layups and dunks. He rebounds. He has grown into a player who accepts the physical challenge night in and night out. And why not? He boxes in the offseason.
He is a two-time all-star who started out just wanting to prove he could contribute.
“My whole theory coming into the NBA was showing people I could be effective and show people I could play the game, just be a role guy, sixth, seventh man off the bench,” West said during NBA All-Star Weekend. “I wanted to show people I could be effective.”
West has improved his scoring average in each of his six seasons in the NBA. In his first season out of Xavier, West averaged 3.8 points per game. That jumped to 6.2 to 17.1 to 18.3 to 20.6 and 21.0 this season. He is almost a walking double-double this year, averaging 8.5 rebounds per game.
He’s been asked to do a lot more this season.
Center Tyson Chandler has been in and out of the lineup with injuries. The Hornets even tried to trade him, to West’s displeasure. Other centers on the roster were ineffective, so West was pressed into service in the middle.
In a late-season game against the Dallas Mavericks, West guarded Dirk Nowitzki at his natural power forward slot. But West also guarded Dallas center Erick Dampier. He doesn’t like guarding centers, but West does it anyway.
There are questions as to just how much Chandler will be able to play against the Nuggets, given his injury history and the fact his ankle isn’t 100 percent. If he is out again, West could be asked to guard Nene or Chris Andersen.
Against the Nuggets this season, West has been good, but not great. He averaged 18.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.7 assists in three games against the Nuggets, missing one because of injury. The Nuggets held him to 40 percent shooting from the field.
But the Nuggets played the Hornets all four times without Chandler, and the big man’s presence on the court should free up West to be more himself. New Orleans is 7-1 this season when West scores 30 or more points.
He and guard Chris Paul are as scary a duo an NBA defense can face. Together, they account for 43 of the 95 points the Hornets average as a team. The numbers are nice, but West insists his motivation is just to stay on the court.
“I have a goal at the beginning of the year just to be effective and healthy,” West said. “Those are the two goals I set. I don’t set personal goals or anything like that.”
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
