The 75 greatest NBA players of the 2010s, ranked

69) David West

Long-time NBA veteran David West got his start with the New Orleans Hornets back in the early 2000s and emerged as a star late in the decade. However, he was more impactful during the 2010s. He started off the decade strong, averaging 19 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3 assists, and 18.9 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, respectively, during the 2009–10 and 2010–11 seasons.

Despite that, the Hornets let him leave and he signed with the Indiana Pacers, which turned out to be an impactful addition. With West, the young Pacers, which featured Paul George, Roy Hibbert, Lan Stephenson, and Danny Granger, made three deep playoff runs and battled the Miami Heat each time.

Unfortunately for the Pacers and West, they came up short each time, including in back-to-back Easter Conference Finals appearances. Following that run, West surprised many by turning down more than $10 million to sign a veteran's minimum contract to join the San Antonio Spurs. He was a key part of the 67-win 2015-16 Spurs, though they were upset in the West semi-finals.

The following season, he joined Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, and the Golden State Warriors and won consecutive titles to close out his career. In nine seasons during the 2010s, he averaged 12.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in 26.5 minutes per game over 655 games. That understates his impact, though, with him averaging 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per 36 minutes during that time. That, plus his importance on several great teams, earns him a place on this list.