David West’s season is over, and thus, the Hornets’ season is over. New Orleans will still likely hold onto their playoff spot (though with West sidelined, a tough schedule ahead, and Houston on a roll, maybe we shouldn’t even take that much for granted), but even the slim chance the Hornets had to make it out of the first round has been entirely erased.
Yet the Hornets will still do what they can to finish out the season to their best of their collective ability. Jason Smith and Carl Landry will come into more minutes, and will need to produce more for the team to stay afloat. Chris Paul will have to fight through more defensive pressure than ever. And Dell Demps has already made a small move to fill West’s roster spot by signing D-Leaguer Patrick Ewing Jr. to a 10-day contract, according to Marc Stein of ESPN.com.
Ewing isn’t tailor-made to fill West’s shoes; positionally, he just doesn’t provide the same fit, and it’s unlikely that he’ll actually log any time at power forward. He’s actually a much more natural backup for Trevor Ariza, and unfortunately, he’s a bit too much like Trevor Ariza, only without the same defensive pedigree. Ewing shares in Ariza’s love for the ill-advised jumper, and though his physical gifts are considerable, he struggles to maintain offensive efficiency as a result of that poor decision-making. Still, Ewing is worth a look, even if he isn’t necessarily the best D-League prospect available. The production (Ewing has averaged 19.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game for the Sioux Falls Skyforced) and athleticism are there, but it remains to be seen if Ewing can understand his role on the pro level.
