Does One Good Season Entitle David West to Run Smack in Every Round of the Playoffs?

The one-word answer to this question is a resounding "no," but let me get a few things out there before I get into my issue with David West.

I understand that the cheek-tap on Dirk in the first round was minor, and said so at the time. I also understand that this clip I'm about to show you did take place against the Spurs -- who are known for playing chippy -- and that a few words and clapping in someone's face isn't exactly the same thing as standing over someone grabbing your crotch after a dunk. I get all that. But I still find it annoying that David West -- who just became an All-Star this season and has only done so thanks to Chris Paul -- is now acting like a superstar who thinks he's the best player on the court.

Here's the incident with Oberto that occurred during the Hornets' Game 2 blowout of the Spurs. You can see (in super-fast motion) West clap in Oberto's face after the foul is called and have a few brief words with him as well.

I hate to break it to him, but West is basically the equivalent of the 2004 version of Kenyon Martin, albeit with a slightly better jump shot.

The field goal percentage, assist, and rebounding numbers are almost identical, with West having a higher scoring average in more minutes per game. He, like K-Mart in '04 with Jason Kidd, is simply reaping the rewards of playing with one of the league's elite point guards (if not potentially the best ever), and would not be nearly the player he is this season if he wasn't playing with Chris Paul.

So David, how about you just play basketball and leave the trash talking to the professionals? Your team will probably go a lot further if you keep your mouth shut, and you can stop annoying casual Hornets fans who think you're a little too full of yourself for being a one-time, marginal All-Star.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

5-06-2008 @ 4:11PM

DorseyTheGreat said...

When the guy you're talking smack to is named Fabricio you can pretty much say whatever you want.

5-06-2008 @ 4:15PM

xlz24 said...

Brett: I know this is your schtick and all, but please leave the moralizing to someone who actually knows what he- or she is talking about. Honestly, David West's supposed lack of "professionalism" is so uninteresting that it's almost a crime to speak of it; the only thing that really matters is that the Hornets are up 2-0 on the defending champs. And I'm pretty sure one of the reasons why the Hornets are in this position is because of their chippiness and bravado; if they played scared and intimidated (like you want them too), they'd be sitting at home right now.

P.S. David West was pretty good before this season. Check his stats.

5-06-2008 @ 4:34PM

Marc said...

my thoughts exactly! i thought it was funny when cp3 backed him up when rafer alston talked smack about him last month. he's david west for christ sake's!

5-06-2008 @ 4:35PM

Chris said...

A couple of things:

To compare K-Mart circa '04 and D West is just silly. D West is arguably the most versatile power forward in the league. He can hit 17 footers, drive with either hand, and has a very solid post up game. K Mart, on the other hand, was (and still is) a very one-dimensional player. He had incredible athleticism which allowed him to dunk on almost anyone and get a ton of layups. Plus he was option number 1 in transistion with J Kidd in Jersey. That's why his field goal percentage was so high.

Two, to say he is a "marginal" all-star is a slap in the face. Dude averaged 21-9 in the regular season, which is on par with all of the top PF's in the league. And he averaged 18-8 last year, so to say he's just a one-year wonder means you haven't been doing your research.

Thirdly, as much as I love Chris Paul, people get a little to carried away with giving him ALL the credit for the success of this team. CP gets a lot of his assists by sucking the defense in and getting open shots for jump shooters (like Peja and Pargo) or lobs for the bigs (Chandler). However when that's not working, he feeds the ball to D West and lets him work. Watch a Hornets game: CP feeds the ball to West, everyone clears out, and then he makes his move. Obviously Chris makes him a better player, but not to the extent that you make it sound.

To be fair, D West does a little more bitching then I'd like him to sometimes, and he can get a little carried away. But he's also one of the most competitive players in the league, so I can absolutely forgive the occasional outburst.

Most of the media has been pretty skeptical of the Hornets this year, even though they had the best record in the West for half the season, and finished with the 2 seed in the most competitive conference in the last decade. Most of that has to do with the Hornets never being on television, which will hopefully change next year. But it gets really annoying when "analysts" and "experts" offer opinions on teams based on...well, I have no idea. Obviously not facts, because if they had been watching the Hornets all year, I can guarantee they wouldn't be so surprised by their success. So before we act like we know what we're talking about, let's make sure we actually do.

5-06-2008 @ 5:12PM

vince said...

sorry brett but this post is WEAK. i like aol nba blog, but this crap doesnt belong here. really...you can do better, since this is just pure hating.

5-06-2008 @ 7:08PM

TBiz said...

Dumb. Post.

Keep your moralizing to yourself. If ya wanna preach, then change your profession. Dumbass.

5-06-2008 @ 7:35PM

JCL said...

Get a clue, West is a stud who is only getting better. He plays with an enforcers attitude, you need a player with his toughness in the playoffs. Who's going to do that? Peja, Tyson, MoPete?? No DWest is the leader of this squad.

5-06-2008 @ 8:59PM

Shauna said...

Well said to everyone who commented.

5-07-2008 @ 12:25AM

George B Vieto said...

If David West can back it up then it he is entitled to have some smack talk to his opponents once in a while.

5-07-2008 @ 12:40AM

Drew said...

I'm willing to go out on a limb and say you're the only casual Hornets fan annoyed by David West's lack of restraint, Brett. I bet most people rooting for the Hornets could give a rat's ass about West's supposed brashness. The whole Hornets team - from CP to West to Wells is playing pretty brazenly - and it seems to be working out alright for them.

5-07-2008 @ 11:19AM

zibinet said...

Brett, if you care about being a respected writer/analyst, you should stop writing these tabloid-worthy articles. It seems David West is not enough politically correct for you, well guess what: who gives a #$%^?!

Why dont you just face the facts:

1. Without David West the Hornets would be nowhere.
2. For any NBA coach looking for a power forward, he would be in their top 3 list.
3. His toughness, both physical and mental is exactly what the Hornets need.
4. Like the other people wrote: Youre probably the only casual Hornets fan whose annoyed by David West, the others are just sitting back and enjoying the way this team is playing right now.

5-07-2008 @ 2:24PM

Hornet Henry said...

If you think that 90 percent of the reason David West has had a great year is because of Chris Paul, you obviously have not watched the Hornets this season... or maybe in any of the last three seasons.

It's also a ridiculous comparison that you're making. Kenyon Martin flourished with the Nets by running the floor and getting easy baskets (layups, dunks) when Jason Kidd was in his prime and running the break in New Jersey. Martin has virtually no go-to moves on the low block. That's why he hasn't been as successful since he left NJ. He's also lost a lot of his athleticism since then due to knee injuries.

West rarely, if ever, scores in those fast-break situations. Almost everything he does is in the halfcourt offense and a result of post moves or his skilled face-up shooting game. So in essence, he is the OPPOSITE of Kenyon Martin's game. Other than that your comparison was right on the money [sarcasm].

The proper title of this article should have been "Brett Edwards Needs to Stop Talking Smack."

5-07-2008 @ 11:45PM

Andrea said...

Don't get too carried away..David West has played well for the past three seasons, improving in each season. I know because I've been a Hornets fan since the team came here from Charlotte and I've been able to follow his career but no one cares how well you're playing when your team is losing which was the case the first 4 yrs of DW's career. As for the trash talking issue: First off, how is his trash talking different from Al Horford, Erick Dampier, Kenyon Martin, etc. talking trash while having done far less in their careers? Talk is exactly what it is. Who really cares? It's playoff time and to make a deep run you have to have a certain level of toughness both mental and physical and guys like David bring just that.

As for him being an All-Star because of CP, I'm here to say that that's complete bullshit. Yeah CP gets him a couple of open looks from time to time but it's up to David to make the shots when that happens which is no different from what anyone else in the league has to do which is make the shots regardless of how nice the pass is or how wide open you are. If you've watched us this season and in previous seasons, CP gives David the ball and whatever happens after that, make or miss, is all D. West. Comparing him to K-Mart is an insult so I won't even get on that because I'll never get off of here.

5-08-2008 @ 12:11AM

Steve said...

Do you even watch basketball? Have you ever seen a Hornets game? Those are the only questions I can think to ask because you have absolutely no idea what you're talking about.

As a fan that actually lives in New Orleans I can't say I've ever met one of these "casual" fans that doesn't like D-West.

7-14-2008 @ 4:43PM

By the way, when you're done talking smack about David West, you can purchase Hornets 2008-09 season tickets by calling 504-525-HOOP or visiting Hornets.com