This charade of Anthony Davis still suiting up for the New Orleans Pelicans has to end pretty much right now.
Fresh off sitting in the fourth quarter of the team’s most-recent game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Davis will once again be limited Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“New Orleans Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry said the plan remains to utilize Davis around 20 to 23 minutes and that he will likely not see action in the fourth as the Pelicans continue to protect themselves and try to limit the risk of any potential injury to Davis for the rest of the season,” Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry said, via ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk.
As noted, this is New Orleans’ way of protecting itself from injury as the team prepares to trade the disgruntled star over the summer.
Davis’ most-recent appearance at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans Monday night did not go swimmingly for either the player or his team. Dragging on this charade is only going to make things uglier as the season progresses.
“I mean, I think everybody wants to play the fourth quarter,” Davis said at the Pelicans’ morning shootaround Wednesday. “Obviously it is frustrating. I’ve never, like I said before, been a guy who has been able to sit out the fourth, but I just play and do whatever I can, play as hard as I can for the minutes I am on the floor.”
Good luck the rest of the way, Mr. Davis.
As for the Pelicans, they enter Wednesday’s action with a 27-35 record and as the 12th seed out west. Gentry and Co. are obviously playing out what has been a lost and drama-filled season.