Things were already looking dire for the Indiana Pacers after an unfortunate offseason, so the early loss of David West to an ankle injury could've sunk the team even further. Instead, the Pacers survived the first few weeks of the season with a 6-8 record without their starting power forward and now have a chance to make a run at the playoffs with him set to return.
David West set to return to surprisingly competitive Pacers
The Pacers were supposed to sink without David West. Instead, they’ve hung around ... and soon they’ll get their heart and soul back from injury.
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
West plans to make his season debut Friday night against the Orlando Magic, reports Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star. Though they'll likely drop a game Wednesday night on the road in San Antonio, Indiana has remained competitive without most of the core that led it to multiple conference final berths.
That's because Frank Vogel still has the team playing above-average defense even with a battered roster. The Pacers are currently ninth in the league in points allowed per 100 possessions (101.8) and second in rebound rate (53.7 percent), all without their starting point guard, shooting guard, small forward and power forward from last season.
The shooting guard (Lance Stephenson) and small forward (Paul George) won't be back this season at all, but West's return Friday could provide a big boost because he'll be replacing Luis Scola. Scola's had a decorated career, but at age 34, he no longer has the athleticism to keep up with most NBA forwards. By returning Scola to the bench, the Pacers should be able to get more useful minutes out of him in a limited role while having West handle most of the minutes next to the resurgent Roy Hibbert.
The bigger question marks will come on the offensive end, where West becomes the de facto No. 1 option upon returning to the lineup. Six different players are averaging at least 10 points per game for Indiana, but the surprising Donald Sloan is tops at 13.4 despite being one of many Pacers shooting at an underwhelming clip.
The Pacers were never a great offensive team even when fully loaded, and now, they’re No. 26 in offensive efficiency. West should undeniably make a difference, giving the team a potent midrange shooter and passer at power forward, but he won’t be able to solve the team’s backcourt issues or lack of depth.
Still, with Hibbert looking like his old self, Vogel on the bench and West returning, the Pacers appear to be in surprisingly good shape. Many fans didn’t expect the team to be making a run for the playoffs after the losses of Stephenson and George, but they’re currently eighth in the weak East and figure to improve from here.
Unless some teams at the bottom of the East, like Charlotte or New York, start showing signs of life, the Pacers could be able to make the playoffs even with a barren roster.
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