Anthony Davis questionable, Ryan Anderson out Wednesday for Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans are limping into the All-Star break.
After getting caught in the standings by the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday, the Pelicans could once again be without their two best power forwards Wednesday when they close out their first half against the Indiana Pacers.
Superstar Anthony Davis is listed as questionable, which would be the second consecutive game he'll missed due to a sprained right shoulder suffered on Saturday. Davis' backup and frequent running mate Ryan Anderson has already been ruled out for a second consecutive game due to a right elbow strain.
Davis' injury is concerning but it's not believed to be serious. The Pelicans' broadcast even indicated Monday that Davis still plans to play in Sunday's All-Star Game, despite the injury, technically a Grade 1 AC-joint sprain. New Orleans has generally been a mess without Davis this season, falling from serious contender to nonthreatening also-ran when he hits the bench.
| Pelicans | O-Rtg | D-Rtg | Net |
|---|---|---|---|
| Davis on floor | 111.5 | 106.0 | 5.5 |
| Davis on bench | 103.7 | 111.7 | -8.1 |
| Difference | 7.8 | 5.7 | 13.6 |
With Davis and their best option to replace him out on Monday, the Pelicans turned to Alexis Ajinca as their starting power forward in a narrow loss to the Utah Jazz. Ajinca scored eight points in 27 minutes, but the imposing 7-foot duo of Ajinca and Omer Asik couldn't keep the Jazz off the glass or the scoreboard.
The hope for New Orleans will be that Davis can hit the ground running once again out of the All-Star break. In 46 games, he's averaging 24.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals and a league-high 2.7 blocks while also setting the pace with a ridiculous 31.7 PER.