Patrick Ewing is heading back to the sideline.
After spending the past few seasons around the Knicks as an advisor and ambassador, Ewing has taken an assistant coaching job with the Washington Wizards. It’s a move that brings him back to the role he still wanted, even after staying connected to New York in a different capacity.
Ewing’s name will always be tied to the Knicks. He spent more than a decade as the franchise’s star player, and that relationship is why he remained around the organization in recent years. But coaching was still on his list, and now he’s getting that chance with Washington.
The Wizards have been making moves to strengthen the entire operation, and the coaching staff is part of that push. Brian Keefe’s group is growing, both in size and in experience, and Ewing adds plenty of both. He brings the credibility of a former NBA star and the perspective of someone who has already worked as a coach.
His presence should matter in a few different ways. Ewing can be a mentor for players across the roster, including Dybantsa. He also gives Washington another strong voice for the frontcourt, where players like Alex Sarr, Anthony Davis, and Deandre Ayton can benefit from his experience.
Steve Clifford, the former Charlotte Hornets head coach, has also joined Keefe’s staff. With that kind of veteran presence around the bench, the Wizards are clearly trying to build something sturdier.
On the roster side, Washington has veterans such as Davis and Trae Young who can help in the regular season, while younger pieces like Dybantsa and Sarr point to what the team wants to become down the line.
In Other News...
Jeff Peterson Just Framed The Hornets Reset Fans Have Waited For
Jeff Peterson spent the offseason making the kind of moves that usually signal a front office has picked a direction, and in Charlottes case the direction is finally hard to miss. The Hornets have turned over major pieces, added future draft capital, and brought in veterans who fit a different timeline, while also using the draft to keep layering in young talent. It is a reset built more around flexibility and patience than trying to patch last seasons problems with another quick fix.
Petersons comments made the bigger picture even clearer for Hornets fans who have been waiting for a coherent plan. Charlotte is no longer pretending the next step has to be immediate, and the roster now looks like one that can be shaped around its younger core and the players the front office believes can grow with it. The unresolved part, of course, is how far the team is willing to lean into that long-term approach before the wins have to catch up. [Read more 🡒]
Jeff Peterson Just Sent A Clear Message About The Hornets Rebuild
Charlottes rebuild has been framed by a strong finish last season, but the front office is making clear that one hot stretch is not changing the long view. After winning 28 of its final 38 games, the Hornets still moved into a summer of sweeping changes, and president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson has been stressing that the organization is thinking bigger than a quick bounce back.
Petersons message is aimed at avoiding the kind of shortcut that can leave a team stuck in the middle for years. The Hornets want the process to be deliberate, not a rush to chase one playoff appearance, and that philosophy matters now as the roster continues to take shape around the long-term plan. [Read more 🡒]
Coby White Just Took On The Hornets Role That Changes Everything
Coby White is set to slide into a much bigger spotlight in Charlotte after arriving from Chicago on a three-year, $74 million deal this offseason. For a Hornets team that has spent the summer reshaping its roster, Whites move gives the backcourt a new direction and puts him in position to be one of the central figures in whatever comes next.
The Hornets have been busy reworking the lineup around a fresh mix of talent and draft capital, and Whites role is part of that larger reset. With Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel among the pieces expected to matter right away, Charlotte is clearly trying to build a different kind of foundation, and Whites fit at point guard will be one of the first things to watch when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]