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Now it's going to be hard to hate David West.
Harvey: David molds David, and Spurs feel it
San Antonio Express-News
NEW ORLEANS — David West was always a Spurs fan. He loved David Robinson, and how Robinson handled himself, and West talked about that Sunday.
This should make the Spurs feel even older. Those who grew up liking them are now beating them.
This should also worry the Spurs. West is averaging 30 points this season in Hornets' wins over the Spurs, and he isn't some airhead who will get caught up in the glory.
He will also not throw a party and invite Josh Howard. West stayed in school for four years, and he believes in being steady and professional, and he doesn't care that few in the country realize how good he is.
As role models go, the Spurs have been too good.
As defenders go, the Spurs have not been so good. West did what he wanted to do Saturday; had he not started slowly, including missing a dunk, he might have gone for 40 points.
Few saw this coming, even after West was named the Associated Press' college player of the year in 2003, his senior year at Xavier. Coincidentally, that was the year Robinson retired.
Also coincidentally, Robinson won the same award 16 years earlier. But whereas Robinson's size and athletic ability were undeniable then, West was seen as a 6-foot-9 power forward without much power.
West heard the critiques, and some came firsthand. “I remember one NBA guy sitting me down and saying, ‘At your size, you're going to have to do something drastic — either gain 40 pounds to become a Danny Fortson, or lose 30 pounds to adjust playing on the wing.'”
He went 18th in the draft behind, among others, players named Reece Gaines and Troy Bell. And when West showed up at his introductory press conference in New Orleans, he came with no jewelry and a small entourage. Only his parents and girlfriend were with him.
“One of the things I like about David,” Tim Floyd, the then-Hornets coach said that day, “is he lists his favorite basketball player as David Robinson.”
West worked, and his 17-foot jumper became automatic. He could always rebound, and defenders have found that his splay-footed first step seems to always get him to the basket.
Kurt Thomas, Robert Horry and Fab Oberto found the same Saturday.
Only Amare Stoudemire compares to West and his inside-outside combination, and West is surer and smarter. Little wonder West was an All-Star this year. And with the All-Star Game in New Orleans, West should have been impressed with himself then.
He wasn't. During a media session he saw Robinson, and West walked over, waited his turn and introduced himself. He told Robinson how much he admired him, and he met his sons.
Asked about that Sunday, West smiled and implied the two had just bumped into each other. But a Hornets staffer who was there that day said West was more excited about meeting Robinson than anything else that weekend. West thought it had been “the coolest thing.”
So why Robinson?
“He was one of those guys that, regardless of what negative things people said about him, he was a winner,” West said Sunday. “He never got out of character in terms of what he was, who he was. He didn't let things around him get to who he is. He may not have said it, but I always got that from him.”
West has thought of Tim Duncan and all of the Spurs in similar ways. “They go about their business,” West said. “They don't have to be flashy, all the bravado and stuff. Just get it done.”
Now West has become the Robinson/Duncan of the Hornets. No player has been with the franchise longer.
But West might be the NBA's least-known star outside of New Orleans. Gregg Popovich addressed that Sunday. “For some reason,” Popovich said, “he continues to be this underrated guy.”
Popovich should know the reasons by now. West doesn't play to the hype, and he doesn't work in a large market.
These are all parallels the Spurs would enjoy. Except for now. The one player they can't figure out also wants to be like them.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/b...s.3dbdc0e.html
Now it's going to be hard to hate David West.
Yeah you could tell this guy was no fool by listening to his post game interview, you can tell by his comments in this article...he pretty much nails Drob's character and the Spurs...not a typical NBA player, as he's not bought and owned by the big media(if he was he wouldn't be a DRob fan and be so knowledgable about the Spurs) like most young players are.
But back to the task at hand...if I needed any further convincing that he needs to be doubled(and I didn't), this article provided it...not only because of his comments...but because karmically it fits as well, because the way to beat both Duncan and Drob was to double them.
If this Hornets team stays together(and if West is paying attention to Duncan and Robinson he won't be switching teams), they will definitely win a championship at some point.
Will it be this year? No, even if they were to get past the Spurs...they definitely won't get past the Lakers IMO. This is not to say I think the Lakers are a great deal better...but the Lakers match up with them well...and Phil will beat them using effective double teams.
Last edited by whottt; 05-05-2008 at 02:34 AM.
If we don't double team West we lose this series.
bull . West is only one player, and he's not going to get anyhere near Amare's 37 ppg vs the Spurs. West.
Spurs play playoff bball and they take the next 4 games. West.
Listening to Pop after the game, he sounds like he will use boutons's theory in Game 2.
true. but if they give up 30 to west, and let paul, stojakovic, wells, peterson, etc. go off, then they're aren't going to win. at least against the suns, the spurs could shut nash or marion or barbosa down.
We have to be honest with ourselves. West is going to get his, much like Amare did last series. We just cant let the other guys like Peja, Chandler, Wells, Peterson beat us. We just need to play some ing D, some Spurs D.
I don't get the comparisons to Amare anymore than I do Dirk....and I don't get the comparisons to the Suns and the Mavs either...
You could outscore the Suns...they could not play defense, that is why you could do things like let Amare get his.
The Hornets are more like the Spurs than they are the Suns or Mavs. They play defense, they can score inside and out, they can pass, they can run, they can play the half court...they are one of the most complete and versatile teams we have faced in the Duncan era...and this includes the Lakers as well. The Lakers couldn't run like these guys can....and they had no one that could pass like Paul either.
They are not like the Mavs or the Suns...they are an entirely different creature.
At the least they are like the Jazz with a better PG and PF.
I gotta agree with Boutons and Pop though. You can live with West and Paul getting hteres to some extent. What you can't live with is the horrible rebounding and role players tearing you up. Peja can NOT be allowed to destroy them the way he did, nor can Bonzi.
I'm not so sure Pop is going to do what boutons says...
Put it this way...you ever see Duncan get held to 5 points against the Suns?
Amare indeed...
Was thinking this West guy belongs on the Spurs, then i soon came to this realisation.If this Hornets team stays together(and if West is paying attention to Duncan and Robinson he won't be switching teams), they will definitely win a championship at some point.
Umm every great player can only be stoped by double team.
Dave once said something similar.
I hate West just because it's hard to hate him
I have been skipping all of Buck Harvey´s articles for years now, but I just had to read this one. Good stuff.
All this talk about a different animal explains why I find myself beginning to agree with Whott.
Weird feeling.
I had no fight with West before. In fact, I've admired his game for a few seasons. Now I'm starting to really like the player. I just wish we had someone to slow him down.
well he doesn't model david in all areas. The Admiral wouldn't "tap" someone on the cheek on national tv.
I agree that for a guy that it seems noone ever heard of, he is one of a talent. The guy can burn you from anywhere.
We are going to have to play the best D possible, and Manu, Tony, and Tim are all going to have to have 4 great scoring games if we are going to get by this group.
And if we don't....Well, I'm not so sure they can't hand the Lakers their asses. I mean, the Jazz was close to em on their home court yesterday.
Adimral didn't need to, everyone knew not to EFF with him. All he needed to do was flex his goddamn pythons and everybody would know what's up. Further reference look at AHF's sig, that is body builder status and I didn't even know you could do that naturally w/o steriods.
Please somebody tell West that his own teammate CPaul believes in his own hype.
Hard to hate the guy, great article!
And West once said he was not in the same class as Tim, yet.
Now it's going to be hard to hate David West.
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