Anthony Davis out with groin strain Friday
NBA fans are being robbed quite the power forward showdown Friday.
Anthony Davis will not suit up for the New Orleans Pelicans due to a left groin strain, leaving Los Angeles Clippers star Blake Griffin without a dance partner. The team is officially calling Davis' injury a grade 1 left adductor strain but did not provide a timeline for his return.
Davis originally suffered the injury on Wednesday but was able to return to the game, leaving room for optimism that the ailment wasn't a serious matter. His absence renders the Pelicans at an appreciable disadvantage against the Clippers, even at home, as New Orleans is now a five-point underdog.
The Pelicans have been an obscene 14.6 points per-100 possessions better with Davis on the floor this season, making him a legitimate MVP candidate at the halfway point even with New Orleans only 24-22. Now in his third season, the emerging superstar is averaging 24.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.6 steals and a league-high 2.9 blocks, posting the league's best player efficiency rating at 31.9.
Ryan Anderson will slide in as the starting power forward, and while he can score at a decent clip, there's little replacing what Davis brings to the table.