Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans is done for the season. The team opted to sit him out with the season technically beyond reach.

Davis, who signed a contract extension with the Pelicans, has struggled all season long with a spate of injuries tied up to his knees and shoulders. With the Dallas Mavericks 8.5 games ahead of the Pelicans, head coach Alvin Gentry opted to preserve Davis rather than play out the rest of the season.

“We’re going to shut him down. He’s done for the year. It’s unfortunate, but he’s got an issue with his shoulder that he’s played with the whole season. It’s amazing when people talk about him being soft or whatever; they don’t understand that he’s played through a situation with his shoulder the entire season,” said Gentry.

Disappointing 2015-16 NBA Season

The Pelicans were looking to repeat the same feat they had last year when they made the NBA playoffs. The team did it last year with former head coach Monty Williams and management felt that Gentry could better the chances.

Gentry was part of the Golden State Warriors team that won the title last year but it was more of the injury bug that did the Pelicans this year.

Davis had been hampered by injuries time and again, seeing him play only a total of 61 games this season.

The top pick at the 2013 NBA Draft ended the current season with an average of 24.3 point per game and 10.3 rebounds, good numbers that still failed to lead the way for New Orleans.

Davis' Durability Questioned

There is no doubt that Davis has proven to be a gem for the Pelican and the NBA since his entry 4 years ago. But there is a glaring observation that may need to be answered.

This has to do with the fact that Davis has not played at least 70 games since his pro debut in the regular season, leading many to ask his durability moving forward.

At only 23, Davis could be a contender in the NBA Most Valuable Player race had it not for injuries stopping him throughout the years. But if the trend continues, the Pelicans (and Davis) may have to do the necessary to prevent such from happening.

That includes sitting out and preserving Davis during the regular season in the same manner that the San Antonio Spurs have been doing with its roster of stars.

Goodbye, $24 Million?

An interesting angle here is the $24 million bonus he would be getting if he is to make the All-NBA team this year. This was part of the deal he signed with the contract extension last year.

The complications could have been avoided had Davis got voted in as a starter in last month’s All-Star festivities in Toronto. Davis was in the main event but as a reserve.

He does, however, gets a last chance to snag that perk but only if he is named to any of the All-NBA teams. Right now things aren’t looking bright and shutting him down only makes things worse.

Frustrating as it may for Davis and the Pelicans, there is nothing left to do right now but look towards the future. It will not just be about bringing in good players but also about managing the playing time of key players, Anthony Davis most notably.

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