The Hornets' David West, after opting not to sign an extension to stay in New Orleans, was considered one of the top free agents on the market this summer, but it looks like his knee injury will affect that status.

For many front-office executives, West’s injury is too much to ignore. He has averaged 16.4 points and 7.3 rebounds over his career, and has made two All-Star teams. But he is 31-years-old, and the prospects of West coming back as an All-Star level player are obviously uncertain.

“There was a time where you kind of had faith in the ability of every guy to come back from injuries,” one Eastern Conference general manager said. “But I think there are enough examples of guys who have surgeries and aren’t the same. That has to make you think twice.”

The GM cited two prominent examples—Magic guard Gilbert Arenas and Sixers forward Elton Brand.

Because it will take West at least six months to rehab his knee, it is now expected that West will not opt out of his contract with the Hornets which will pay him $7.5 million next season.

With David West out for the season, Carl Landry will be largely responsible for filling in for him at power forward.

"I think I was really tentative because of the situation the team is in," Landry said. "I'm human. I was thinking about it a little bit. I just wanted to go out there and play the best I could and help the team out the best I could.

"The first half, I just think I was thinking a little too much, rushing some shots, missing some shots that I usually make. But right before halftime, Coach (Monty Williams) said, 'Just play, just be yourself. Don't try to be D-West, don't try to be something that you're not. Don't try to put all the weight on your shoulders. There's no 'I' in team. It has to be a collective effort.' The second half, I was a little bit better. The butterflies were gone. I had a better half."

Chris Paul scored 22 points in New Orleans' 106-100 win over the Suns on Friday, but talked after the game about how devastated he is that David West is out for the season with a torn ACL.

"Man, that's my guy, that's all I can say," said Paul. "I was emotional in my post-game interview, but that's my guy. Plain and simple.

"I told him some people in your life that you meet, you have friends that are closer than family. He's one of those guys for me. It may sound crazy, but I'm hurt just as bad as he is that he can't play."

The New Orleans Hornets are signing Patrick Ewing Jr. from Sioux Falls Skyforce in the NBA D-League to 10-day contract after losing David West for the season.

Ewing was averaging 19.9 points and 10.6 rebounds per game with the Skyforce.

An MRI exam Friday revealed David West suffered a torn ACL Thursday night when his left knee buckled late in regulation in an eventual overtime victory over Utah.

The Hornets immediately feared West suffered a season-ending injury when it happened and Friday's MRI confirmed the severity of the injury. West will need a months-long absence entering what was thought to be a lucrative free-agent summer for him.

One source close to West said the Hornets' power forward is hoping to complete his rehab in six months.

Earning a relatively modest $7.5 million this season for a two-time All-Star, West has resisted attempts by the Hornets at various points of the season to sign a contract extension that would keep him off the market. West will now have to decide whether to opt out of the final year of his contract in spite of the injury or, at age 31, play out the final season, which is also valued at $7.5 million.

The New Orleans Hornets gutted out a 121-117 overtime victory over Utah here Thursday night, but in the process may have lost power forward David West for an extended period of time with a left knee injury.

West sustained what is being termed as “left knee trauma” on a driving slam dunk with 22.5 to go in regulation. West landed awkwardly on his left leg and his knee buckled under him. Team medical staff came out and he was eventually taken off the floor in a wheelchair.

West was laid out on a training table in the dressing room, his knee encased in ice, in obvious pain, his face covered by a towel. A large immobilizing splint and a pair of crutches were brought into the locker room.

X-rays on the knee were negative, but an MRI is scheduled for today in Phoenix, where the Hornets play the Suns on Friday night.

Marco Belinelli is the only starter of the Hornets that has to fight for his job. Belinelli came off the bench for 10 games before returning to the starting lineup on March 4th.

Belinelli's ability to hit open shots frees up space for Chris Paul and David West from double-teams.

“If he’s knocking his shot down, he opens it up for everyone else,’’ head coach Monty Williams said. “The problem is that you don’t know if you are going to get that every night, so you change up your rotations.

“Part of my growth is that I have to learn to stick with guys. But it certainly helps when he’s knocking down shots like that.’’

The Hornets are not going to extend guard Jerel McNeal's 10-day contract that he signed on March 9, team officials said Friday. McNeal has not played in five games since joining the Hornets and was signed as insurance in the backcourt following Chris Paul's concussion.

McNeal, 6-foot-3 point guard, is expected to return to Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA Development League.

Chris Paul has been playing better basketball of late after going through a rough patch a few weeks ago that led many to wonder aloud if he was either injured or had been mentally disengaged.

“Ever since I got that knee brace off, I feel a lot freer,” said Paul.

Paul had 26 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three steals in the Hornet's victory on Wednesday over the Suns.

“That’s just the way it’s going,” Paul said of his surge. “It’s winning time. You can’t wait and hope other teams lose to get in position.”

“I put too much pressure on him to carry us every night,” said Coach Monty Williams, adding that if Paul doesn’t get around 25 points and 15 assists, whispers begin. “The bottom line is, to play at this level for 82 games is impossible. He’s one of the great ones. I feel like I put too much pressure on him at times.”

When the New Orleans Hornets face the Boston Celtics on Saturday, new Hornets head coach Monty Williams will see the person who started him down the path to coaching--Doc Rivers.

“He was the first person to tell me I was going to be a coach,” Williams said of Rivers. “He told me a lot of things when I was a player with him and for him. He’s always willing to take time to pour stuff into me that most guys in this league didn’t. He’s the first guy really to pull me by the collar and adamantly tell me to work on my game, because I wasn’t doing the right things, the things that were going to help me have a long career.”

Williams first met Rivers in 1994 when he was a rookie on the Knicks and Rivers was a 12-year veteran. Three years after Rivers ended his playing career, he was coaching the Orlando Magic and Williams signed on to play for him.  In Williams' second year with the Magic, Rivers told him he would end up being a coach.

“I thought he was crazy,” Williams said. “He just said, ‘Monty, you’re going to be a head coach someday.’ And I was like, ‘Where did that come from?’ Because he was on me all the time. Yelling at me, screaming at. I just thought he was crazy."

In hindsight, it all makes sense to Williams—Rivers was tough on him, but it doesn’t seem so crazy now. As he is pushing his team down a very difficult last few weeks, he is showing his players the same kind of tough love Rivers showed him.