With the Pelicans set to resume play this Friday in Indiana, it’s still not clear whether Anthony Davis will continue to take the court for the team going forward.
Davis has said he plans to play the rest of the season, and it appears the shoulder injury that knocked him out of last Thursday’s contest is minor, as he was able to play in the All-Star Game. However, there are reportedly members of the Pelicans’ organization who believe he has played his last game for the team — the club would prefer to sit him to minimize the risk of an injury that would adversely impact his trade value ahead of a crucial offseason.
In a column addressing the Davis situation, Marc Stein of The New York Times writes of “strong signals” that the Pelicans intend to re-engage the NBA this week to discuss the matter. The organization, which replaced general manager Dell Demps with interim GM Danny Ferry last week, hopes to convince league officials to reconsider their stance on forcing the Pelicans to play Davis, says Stein.
When the Pelicans initially mulled the possibility of sitting Davis following the trade deadline, the league reportedly reached out to remind them that teams are subject to fines of $100K for benching healthy players. New Orleans wouldn’t be the first club to sit a healthy veteran this season, but the NBA wants to make a distinction between a difference maker like AD and lesser players like J.R. Smith and Enes Kanter.
In Stein’s view, the league’s stance that the Pelicans would be hurting the ticket-buying public by holding Davis out of action rings hollow, since fans in New Orleans recognize that the All-Star big man no longer wants to be there. Forcing the Pelicans to play him against their will is making an uncomfortable situation even more toxic, Stein argues.
With 23 games left on the Pelicans’ schedule, this will be a situation worth keeping a close eye on the rest of the way. If the club eventually decides to sit Davis – with or without the NBA’s approval – the players’ union may get involved, which would make things even messier. But if the Pelicans hope to maximize their return for Davis in an offseason trade, the drama may be worth it.
They should be allowed to sit him. Not fair to the organization to be forced to play a player with an injury history that public ally demanded a trade, even if he is their best player.
They should have traded him before the deadline then. I do think keeping him out of games is unfair to paying fans.
Then dont buy tickets
Hey did you ever hear of “season ticket plans”? Those people do not have a choice of “not buying tickets” – they are being defrauded if AD sits.
Well if they are true fans they should hope he sits as well since it would maximize the return for their team
Not even close. They didn’t buy tickets for the new Orleans Davis. They bought tickets for the pelicans. Every one knew he would never resign there. No one is being defrauded in any way shape or form. Forcing teams to play it’s players is just another heavy handed central planning move by an already absurd league thinking they can manufacture competition. The NBA is becoming a joke, and not a good or funny one.
That’s a bit extreme, I guess par for the course considering it’s the internet. But the NBA’s a really healthy league. It’s entertaining every night and fans love the sport
AD to Miami for a palm and some coconuts.
Start him and at the first TV time out, he is done for the game.
That would seem to be a reasonable workaround, but still a bummer for fans. Maybe he only plays 20 min per game, mostly in the first half.
If you didn’t want to play him you should have traded him. That should be the leagues stance.
Too true!!! Couldn’t agree more, if you don’t wanna play him why on earth did you not trade him!!! SMH!!! It beggars believe!!!
Uhhh because other teams could offer more in the Summer
So they should be forced to take the Lakers garbage players? Seems fair…
Everyone wants to see Davis join the Lakers but would New Orleans take the package the Lakers offered?
AD likely goes to the Clippers and teams up with Kawhi.
Beverley-Green-Kawhi-Davis-Zubac
Clippers can’t afford him, nor do they have the assets.
Both of your statements are false, and a quick Google search confirms this. Try again.
Really. Give me a Clipper offer???
Play him on the road. Sit him at home. Heck tell him to go home at home. The situation points to a compromise.
Away fans buy advance tickets too, presumably to see the stars of the visiting team in cases like New Orleans.
Yes, and NOLA home fans get a compromised version of what they want too, the best return in an inevitable AD trade from a healthy AD.
Not sure which side the downvotes are coming from, the AD in 100% or the AD out 100%. Or the idea of compromising.
If I had to choose a 100% call, I would say AD is done this year, and the Pels should have to offer Taco Bell beefy frito burritos to away fans with tickets!
They could make the fritos unibrow-shaped, as they almost are already.
A ticket doesn’t entitle you to see specific player, only the team. If you bought a ticket to see a specific guy, you’re probably not smart enough to matter to begin with.
Well that’s kinda the double edge of promoting stars to the extent the NBA does. Absent Anthony Davis, the Pelicans are not nearly as entertaining.
The thing is if the Pelicans play him and he gets injured, what is the league going to do? Nothing. They will say oh well that sucks for you and your lesser trade deal. The Pelicans should sit him and pay the 2 million in fines and say screw you to the league. Small market teams have it hard enough they don’t need the league to punish them with rules that are not enforced equally across the league.
Small market teams are pampered, league is lopsided just helping them, teams in big markets are not at fault if they suck, right?
Uh, pretty sure they have injury insurance so don’t weep for the poor little major sports league owners (they also own the Saints).
I am talking about in terms of getting back talent. That would be best for the fans.
The Suns sat Eric Bledsoe and he was a difference maker. The Pelicans are paying him, they should be able to decide whether to play him or not. Give the guys that want to be there next year a chance to play. Give Julius Randle a chance to earn a contract. I’m one of the people who says don’t give up Jayson Tatum, but the Celtics will.
NBA fans don’t care about the Pels, we care about AD as simple as dude!
You ain’t no Danny Ferry! Or a New Orleans owner!
P.S. “I don’t live in Cleveland, so I don’t have to like LeBron.” I’ve always said the Indiana people don’t like LeBron. When the Pacers beat the Lakers by 42, they cheered Stephenson, chanted “LeBron’s gonna trade you” at Ingram, chanted “Nobody wants you at McGee,” and BOOED LeBron. Wish I would have been there, I would have too. Like the Pacers say, We might not have the most talent in the east, but we can compete with anybody.”
See Pacers section on The Athletic, article is there.
The Athletic, Scott Agness, February 13, “Meet the Rowdy Pacer fans in Turners Block (Myles buys tickets for fans in his block) who create a lively atmosphere and try to distract opponents.”
The one thing that cracks me up about this is the pelicans field they are above all the rules that everyone else apparently has to abide by. If you did not want to worry about this then you should have traded him at the deadline when you got a great offer. This is all on New Orleans now.
What great offer?
Exactly. The league is not going to budge on this since they just came up with the new rule. Pelicans put themselves in this position.
Didn’t AD and his agent put the Pelicans in this position?
We you talking about the Lakers trying to trade busts and garbage players for Davis with no valuable picks attached? That wasn’t a great offer, it was terrible and pelicans were smart not to engage.
Busts and garbage. Hard to make intelligent comments when you hate so much
It’s pretty harsh, but the point rings true nonetheless. The Lakers can’t offer what other teams can. Especially draft equity.
I’m not that sympathetic to the Pelicans, but teams probably should be allowed to sit players that made public trade demands. I agree with their “toxic” argument.
If the Cs could have bid on Davis before the deadline then he likely would have been moved, so stop with the comments saying “too bad, they should have traded him when they had the chance. ..rules are rules”. Thats crazy. Healthy players sit ALL THE TIME. Let them bench him and move on.
They should not be allowed to sit him if he is healthy enough to play. That hurts the league as a whole. The league’s job is not to protect the Pelicans’ investment. If the Pelicans owners do not abide by the ruling, then kick them out of the league. They kicked Donald Sterling out of the league for some racist pillow talk, surely the league would do something about a team that actively hurts their product as a whole.
Are you trying to equivocate this Anthony Davis situation and Donald Sterling? Man oh man that’s a molten lava take
The management of the Pelicans decides who plays, when they play and for how long. Absolutely 100% their call.