Updates from Monday morning’s shootaround at the Smoothie King Center:
• Tonight’s game will feature one of the most riveting power forward matchups in the league, Anthony Davis vs. Blake Griffin. Davis on Griffin: “He’s a great player. It’s going to be tough. He has a lot of confidence right now. We’ve just got to play team defense against him.” Davis on Clippers center DeAndre Jordan: “He’s a phenomenal athlete. He rebounds the ball very well and finishes around the rim. We’re just going to try to keep him off the boards and limit his looks inside.”
• Pelicans injured players Ryan Anderson and Jason Smith had a little fun at Davis’ expense this morning. While Davis was being interviewed nearby by local media, Smith poked Davis in the side with his crutches; Anderson good-naturedly tossed a towel over Davis’ shoulder. Befitting of one of the NBA’s most accurate three-point shooters, the towel somehow knocked off the microphone pad from Pelicans radio host Daniel Sallerson’s mic. Anderson said he couldn’t have done that again if he tried.
• Pelicans guard Anthony Morrow has moved into the No. 1 spot in the NBA in three-point percentage, after going 3-for-3 on Saturday in Washington. Davis on Morrow: “He’s playing well. That’s what we need him to do. Taking big shots and making them. We have a lot of confidence in him. When he gets going, making big threes, everybody feeds off of that.”
• In some instances lately, Davis has begun running back on defense as Morrow launches a three-pointer, before even knowing that the result was a make. Davis: “That’s the confidence we have in him, every time he puts it up. Him, Luke (Babbitt), Brian (Roberts), we think (their shot is) good, and we just try to get back in transition.”
• The Clippers did not hold shootaround this morning, due to playing yesterday and Oklahoma City. Davis: “We had an off day yesterday, so we kind of got our legs (rested). We’ve just got to come out with energy, knowing that (the Clippers) played (Sunday) against a great OKC team.”