Anthony Davis’ sprained ankle will not prevent him from playing in the New Orleans Pelicans’ season-opener against the Denver Nuggets next Wednesday.
This news comes from ESPN.com’s Marc Stein:
Story posting now with @ramonashelburne: The Pelicans expect Anthony Davis to be in the lineup Opening Night after his recent ankle sprain.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 19, 2016
ESPN sources say Anthony Davis practiced with the Pelicans on Wednesday in Orlando and might get a test run in Thursday's preseason finale.
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 19, 2016
So not only will Davis be ready in a week, he might get to test his ankle against the Orlando Magic. This is great news for many reasons.
Quite obviously, injuries suck. Not seeing Davis on the floor, while a semi-common occurrence over the last four years, plays to an absence of start power, which is never, ever good.
For the Pelicans specifically, they cannot afford another absence.
There is no overcoming a Davis injury, period. Let’s make that much clear. Most teams have one player they just cannot lose (not you, Golden State Warriors), no matter how deep they are on paper. Davis is to the Pelicans what LeBron James is to the Cleveland Cavaliers; what Russell Westbrook now is to the Oklahoma City Thunder; and what James Harden is to the Houston Rockets.
But star absences are more digestible when you’re not dealing with a smattering of other injuries and setbacks. And the Pelicans already have plenty of those. Tyreke Evans and Quincy Pondexter aren’t expected back anytime soon; Jrue Holiday is, rightfully, tending to his wife, Laura, who needs to have a brain tumor surgically removed; and Terrence Jones is just plain banged up.
Simply put: With Davis, the Pelicans have a fighting chance. Without him, not only does their stuck plummet, but they toe the line of utterly unwatchable.
