Pelicans All-Star Anthony Davis will miss New Orleans’ Saturday night game against the Lakers due to rest, the team announced.
Davis played for 20 minutes in New Orleans’ loss to the Pacers Friday, notching 15 points, eight rebounds and four assists. Following Davis’ public announcement that he would not re-sign with the Pelicans, the team has implemented plans to limit his minutes for the rest of the 2018/19 season.
“League rules made it clear Anthony has to play,” Pelicans interim general manager Danny Ferry said in reference to the organization’s plan for Davis. “As we’ve done previously, we will continue to follow their lead but also be focused on the future of the team.”
In 46 games this season, Davis has averaged 27.8 PPG and 12.8 RPG for the Pelicans. In addition to Davis likely missing the back end of back-to-backs for the rest of year, Ferry indicated that Davis’ minutes per game will sit between 20-25.
New Orleans weighed trading Davis after he and his agent went public with the big man’s future plans. The Lakers were reportedly the most aggressive team in pursuit of the six-time All-Star.
He’s scared.
I bet with the Lakers coming to town the team will give Davis strict instructions to stay away from LeBron James LOL
Pels are fast becoming the most hated team in sports, they are cheating all NBA fans with not playing AD, or playing him for a miserable 20 minutes, I wish he could just walk free so they wouldn’t get anything for him, with the way they are treating him they don’t deserve even to have a team in the league, such a shame, absolutely love NOLA as a city, just absolutely hate the joke of a team that the Pels are.
lol…AD put them in this situation. Pelicans didn’t ask for the trade, AD did and they’re trying their best to navigate thru it. It’s best for everyone to just sit him if he doesn’t wanna be there. AD saves his body and Pelicans preserve their trade assett…the league is making him play and AD is making difficult by insisting on playing
If they didn’t want to play him they could have traded him.
and I’m sure they most certainly will…they just didn’t get strong armed by Lebron and the Lakers. Good for them
Good luck getting a better package than they had on the table
The Pelicans feel Davis trade request was orchestrated by Rich Paul and Magic Johnson. They wouldn’t have traded him to the Lakers for any package, and I must say I completely understand their position.
How is this blatant “tanking” allowed? Give me a break! It is beyond obvious that this team is trying NOT to win! I feel sorry for the season ticket holders…this is not what they signed up for
Pels fans don’t want him to play.
Why not? Pelicans don’t want to win?
Pelicans could have moved on from this drama and have Kuzma, Ingram suiting up tonight + more assets. Good luck getting anything more in the offseason
Right!
they didn’t want them players when it’s going to be way better offers in the offseason
Then why did they fire the GM days after the deadline.
Which offer would be better? That was stacked
…and if they don’t want to play him, why in the heck didn’t they trade him to improve the team for the future? What an immature, sad excuse for a front office. They got their feelings hurt by Davis, and now they are screwing over the franchise just to made him unhappy for the rest of this season. Wow
So will NOLA get fined for this or because it’s a home game, are they allowed to still “rest” him?
The way this is being handled is disgustingly weak!
Play him like you normally would. No need to treat him differently.
Because he may come out in the wrong jersey?
He should be playing in Home games, rest him on Away games. The hometown fans are the ones that paid to see him play.
He should play every game he is able to play. He can get hurt doing anything.
The hometown fans boo him!