RealGM

According to this guy: Alex Kennedy
http://www.hoopsworld.com/nba-chat-with ... edy-91611/

I’ve been told that the Pacers have David West atop their wish list of free agents. Nene isn’t far behind, but I expect them to throw a lot of money at West when the lockout ends. Which leads to your question about Chris Paul. Would he and West reunite in Indiana? I’m not sure about that. I think Paul wants to go to a bigger market and join a team closer to contending. Also, the Pacers feel confident that their core of Danny Granger, Darren Collison, Roy Hibbert, etc. can be competitive as they continue to develop over the next few years so they may not even be interested in making a blockbuster trade.

He is my number 1 as well.

With him and Paul we are a contending team.

Meh he would be my #2 pick for free agency, my #1 would be Nene. Honestly I think West is overrated he takes a lot of shots on average efficiency while playing next to CP3, mediocre to bad rebounding, isn't a good defender, is 31 years old, coming out of an injury, and I think his playing style is similar to Tyler Hansbrough except IMO Hansbrough is better cause he is relentless on the boards, attacking the rim, and also have a decent jumper not as good as West but it's ok.

If you guys can get West on a MLE deal that's great but I feel like he would want 10 million and I would rather go all in on Nene if that was the case.

I think you are underrating the guy. He is a good defender and a very good pick and roll player, also with other PGs, like Collison. Yes, he is a mediocre rebounder. So are Tyler and Nene.
His game never relied on athleticism. He should be fine for the next 3-4 years.

Yeah, Nene was the better player last year, can play the 4 and 5 and his latest health issues date from a couple of years ago, but that is also going to show up in his new contract.
I don't recall the exact offers from their current teams that West and Nene declined, but I know they were far apart. As players, they are not that far apart IMO.

The Pacers need a starting PF and a backup C, but I don't see the urgent need to address it in 1 player only. West can handle the center spot when teams like Utah, Atlanta, NY play small ball on us and abuse Hibbert.

Nene and West are comparable. Nene gets in foul trouble a lot, and isn't as versatile as West. He is younger, though. That is the biggest reason I want him over West.

I'd prefer Nene.
Mostly because it would give us a great balanced rotation where all the front court pieces get the minutes they want.

I think it may be possible to be as good a team with west but we'd need to snag a really good defensive back up center, like Okafor or D Jordan for example. But would they want to split minutes with Hib? I doubt it. The guys that would are not going to be nearly as good as Nene at center.

And just as importantly- where is Tyler going to get his minutes? He's too good an asset to waste away on the bench and do mop ups. We'd have to trade him for the center and resign McRoberts.

Much more complicated and still very likely not as good as this:

Hib Nene Foster
Nene Tyler McBob
Granger George Dunleavy
George Hill Stevenson Jones
Collison Hill Stevenson Price

That is a MUCH better team than Chicago squeaked past.

If George takes a big sophomore step and Collison or Stevenson improve even a little then that's a tuff team to beat.

Nene > West > Landry > *

West is an excellent player, but that 31 sticks out like a sore thumb. I hate the thought of making one of our core guys someone who's at the age where declination begins. If he were 28, I'd be on him like white on Diener, but 31... I don't know.

31 and on the decline, expensive, can't play center, and, coming off a season-ending injury.
I'd prefer Nene. I too just can't picture West as being one with the "core".

iLL GM wrote:West is an excellent player, but that 31 sticks out like a sore thumb. I hate the thought of making one of our core guys someone who's at the age where declination begins. If he were 28, I'd be on him like white on Diener, but 31... I don't know.

LOL @ white on Diener.

Wouldn't hate West by any means, but I feel Nene should be the way to go. West is more of an offensive-minded PF and scoring was usually the least of the Pacers problems last year. Compared to the younger Nene who can play both the 4 and the 5 effectively, I don't feel like quite possibly overpaying for a 31-year-old PF coming off a season-ending injury is the way to go.

Maybe best case scenario is Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes. Younger than guys like west, cheaper, underrated players. Would let us still have tons of cap space to use in trades.

iLL GM wrote:West is an excellent player, but that 31 sticks out like a sore thumb. I hate the thought of making one of our core guys someone who's at the age where declination begins. If he were 28, I'd be on him like white on Diener, but 31... I don't know.

I think you misunderstood. The Pacers are going to land David West, the former all-star PF of the Hornets, not Delonte West, the combo guard played for the Celtics last season.

jowglenn wrote:Maybe best case scenario is Carl Landry and Chuck Hayes. Younger than guys like west, cheaper, underrated players. Would let us still have tons of cap space to use in trades.

Landry and Hayes are good. But neither of them a consistent scorer like West. Since we have Hansbrough, I don't think Landry or Hayes is the top priority choice in the free agent market.

I can see why the Pacers put West before Nene, since Larry Bird said that he'd like to see Granger as the 2nd scorer of the team. West is also a very cluth player and that's the key the Pacers losing the first three game in the playoffs last season.