New Orleans four-time All-Star forward Anthony Davis was not on the court during the portion of Tuesday’s shootaround that’s open to the media and he also didn’t go through his usual pregame warmup with Pelicans teammate Tim Frazier, but Alvin Gentry said Davis is expected to play against the Grizzlies tonight.
“As far as we know, he’s going to play,” Gentry said, roughly 90 minutes before tip-off of the Southwest Division game. “He just had a little sickness.”
Davis has played in 66 of his team’s 70 games this season, missing just three due to injury and a fourth to rest during a hectic portion of the December schedule. The 24-year-old has played in 25 consecutive games; the last time he was sidelined was the Jan. 23 home win over Cleveland.
Other notes from pregame at the Smoothie King Center:
Tim Frazier will remain the starter at point guard for a second straight game, joining Jrue Holiday in a backcourt that boasts two capable ballhandlers and distributors. The Pelicans scored 123 points Sunday vs. Minnesota while using the new alignment.
“I like he and Jrue out there together,” Gentry said of the duo. “I thought the pace of the game we picked up, because we have two primary ballhandlers who can initiate the offense. I was real happy with the way it went, so we’ll try it again tonight.” …
Both coaches were asked about the recent discussion on NBA teams resting players who aren’t injured, after the much-publicized situation Saturday where Cleveland sat its top three stars on national TV. Gentry, alluding to the urgency his team has to win every game: “We’ll have plenty of rest if we don’t play well this next week. To me, it’s the individual coaches (decision). It’s whatever is best for your team. To me, if a guy is getting heavy minutes and you think you’re going to put him in harm’s way… then I wouldn’t be opposed to sitting him out.”