The Pelicans have instituted a plan for Anthony Davis for the rest of the season that has been deemed satisfactory by Davis, the club, and the NBA. However, that doesn’t mean the team’s AD problem has been solved, writes Will Guillory of The Athletic.
While Davis’ trade request may not have negatively impacted the Pelicans’ locker room in the same way that Jimmy Butler‘s did in Minnesota, it will be impossible for New Orleans to be a “truly cohesive” team as long as the disgruntled center is still around, Guillory contends.
The Pelicans have actually played pretty well during their last two games without Davis on the court — they beat the Lakers by 13 on Saturday in a game Davis missed, and launched a fourth-quarter comeback against Philadelphia on Monday while their All-Star big man was on the bench. That comeback ultimately fell short, but the Pelicans looked like a more inspired group during those 12 minutes, Guillory suggests.
As we keep an eye on how the Davis situation is impacting the Pelicans going forward, let’s round up a few more notes on the club…
- The Pelicans’ weekend win over the Lakers showed the sort of blueprint the team envisions for when it eventually moves on from Davis, says Scott Kushner of The Advocate. Assuming New Orleans isn’t able to land a star of AD’s caliber within the next few years, the club will need a roster built on a system and players willing to give consistent effort on both ends of the court, according to Kushner.
- Interim general manager Danny Ferry spoke to Jen Hale of Fox Sports New Orleans (video link) about the Pelicans’ outlook for the rest of the season and their preparation for the draft and free agency. While Ferry didn’t offer anything groundbreaking, his willingness to speak to reporters since taking over in New Orleans has stood in contrast to former GM Dell Demps, who rarely spoke to the media.
- Pelicans draft-and-stash prospect Tony Carr has changed teams in Italy, moving from Fiat Torino to Pallacanestro Cantu, as Emiliano Carchia of Sportando relays. Carr, a former Penn State guard, was selected with the 51st pick in the 2018 draft and could be a part of New Orleans’ 2019/20 plans, particularly if the club shifts into rebuilding mode.
What did Pels expect? AD’s job is not to build chemistry in the team, if they don’t like it is all their fault, they had a chance to trade him, at his highest value, by the summer his value it will be already cut in half than what it was in February, but what the heck Pels didn’t want the full value, real smart of them, right?
Fake news. None of what you said is true. Pelicans will get great value over the summer when more teams can actually get involved. The future is bright for the pelicans.