Knee injury scare for Pelicans' Anthony Davis
What's the story?
Anthony Davis was forced to leave the game against the Portland Trail Blazers, just five into the contest, after appearing to tweak his knee while jostling for position with Maurice Harkless. An MRI after the game came back negative but the team is taking full precaution:
In case you didn't know
In his short NBA career, Davis has had previous issues with his left knee, twice to be precise. Once in the 2012-13 rookie season and the second time in 2015-16, both times he had to take the rest of the season to rehab.
The heart of the matter
After the tweak, the pain in the knee seemed to increase after Davis' mild collision with Damian Lillard on a long rebound attempt. After that collision, he could be seen limping and in the ensuing possession he was taken back to the locker room.
Davis alongside DeMarcus Cousins are the cornerstones to the Pelicans' experiment of playing big while the rest of the league goes small. Both equally capable of taking over games, Cousins erupted for 39 points and 13 rebounds once Davis was forced out but that double-double was in vain as the Blazers ran away with the win.
What next?
Most probably, Davis' availability for each game will only be announced on the day of the game or hours prior. New Orleans travels to Sacramento from Portland to play the Kings on Thursday night (Friday morning IST) where Cousins will play his former team for the first time in Sacramento.
Author's take
With the MRI coming back negative, this injury doesn't look like it will have a long-term impact on the season. Given the fact that they have Cousins to rely on, the Pelicans should take a cautious approach and only allow Davis to return once he's fully cleared to play.