David West Suffers Season-Ending Torn ACL; Carl Landry Becomes Starter For Hornets

David West Injury Forces Carl Landry Into Hornets' Starting Lineup

After the New Orleans Hornets lost David West for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL, the question of how coach Monty Williams would address the gaping hole at starting power forward popped up. Would he move Carl Landry, a former Rocket and King who has excelled off the bench but struggled in a starting role in Sacramento, into West's spot? Or would Williams promote a lesser player, like Aaron Gray or Jason Smith, in order to keep Landry comfortable off the bench?

As it turns out, it wasn't that hard a decision, because Landry hasn't been terribly effective since being traded to New Orleans at the deadline. In Houston, Landry was a leading contender for Sixth Man of the Year; in Sacramento, he was only fair in both roles. In New Orleans, he struggled in an exclusive bench role. But he broke out Friday as a starter, scoring 19 points in the Hornets' 106-100 victory over the Phoenix Suns.

Landry did most of his damage in the second half, scoring 13. But notably, Williams went to a small lineup that left Landry on the bench with the game tied and less than three minutes remaining. In that lineup, Trevor Ariza played power forward next to Emeka Okafor, with Willie Green and Jarrett Jack joining Chris Paul in the backcourt. It worked, but it never would have happened were West available.

New Orleans lost its second-best offensive player, so Williams will need to continue to learn on the fly how to score points without West. If Landry can produce like he did on Friday, that's a huge help.

For more Hornets' analysis, check out At The Hive.

David West Injury Reportedly Torn ACL; Hornets' Forward Out For Season

David West will miss the rest of the season for the New Orleans Hornets after suffering a torn ACL, reports Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Time-Picayune. West was injured in the fourth quarter of the Hornets' dramatic overtime win over the Utah Jazz on Thursday. He was wheeled off the court, and while X-rays turned out negative, a Friday MRI in Phoenix reportedly turned up the tear.

West has been New Orleans' top scorer and most reliable big man this season; he's been the team's second-best player since Chris Paul turned around the franchise in 2005. The Hornets are in playoff position, currently the No. 7 seed in the stacked West. Losing West is a real blow to N.O.'s hope of a first-round upset over the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers or Dallas Mavericks.

West could be replaced by Aaron Gray or Carl Landry in the starting line-up. Landry, acquired in a deadline deal for Marcus Thornton, hasn't performed well for the Hornets, failing to recapture his brilliant sixth-man production from his Rockets days. He bounced between the starting five and the bench in Sacramento before the trade, but has been a reserve exclusively in New Orleans.

West is on the books for $7.5 million next season, but he has an opt-out option. Whether he joins a light free agent market could depend on his expected recovery time. For more analysis of the injury and the Hornets' playoff hopes, visit At The Hive.

David West Injury Could Knock Hornets' Forward Out For Season

David West was taken off the court in a wheelchair after injuring his left knee during the New Orleans Hornets' overtime win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. Jimmy Smith of the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports that West suffered left knee trauma, and that the Hornets fear he could be out of action for a significant period of time.

The problem is that the 2010-11 season doesn't have a significant period of time left; we have three weeks left in the regular season, followed almost immediately by the start of the playoffs. The Hornets are currently the West's No. 7 seed, three games ahead of the No. 9 Houston Rockets, who have won five straight. The team just behind the Hornets -- the Memphis Grizzlies -- have lost their own stud forward Rudy Gay for the remainder of the season.

West is New Orleans' leading scorer, and one of the team's few reliable scorers. The Hornets' offense ranks just No. 20 in the NBA, as coach Monty Williams angles for defense in most lineups. West plays next to Emeka Okafor, a light-scoring defender, and Trevor Ariza, a poor-shooting defender. Either Aaron Gray or Carl Landry would be expected to step up in West's place should the worst come of this injury.

There's another wrinkle: West will likely be a free agent at season's end, as he can opt out of his $7.5 million contract.

For more on the Hornets, visit At The Hive.