Pelicans coach says Anthony Davis will not be benched

Anthony Davis is apparently healthy enough to play after suffering a shoulder injury in the New Orleans Pelicans’ final game before the All-Star Break, and the team has no plans to bench the star big man to protect his trade value.

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry told reporters on Thursday that Davis will be on the floor against the Indiana Pacers Friday night. He refused to comment on any speculation.

Anthony Davis is “playing tomorrow” according to Alvin Gentry. Won’t comment on anything after that.

— Andrew Lopez (@_Andrew_Lopez) February 21, 2019

A report earlier in the week indicated that there were people within the Pelicans organization who believed Davis had played his last game with the team, but that clearly is not the plan. Davis has suffered some minor injuries in recent weeks that have resulted in him playing less minutes, but the NBA reportedly threatened sanctions against the Pelicans if they tried to bench Davis when he’s healthy.

Davis suffered both finger and shoulder injuries before the All-Star Game, but he played just under five minutes on Sunday night despite seeming less than 100 percent healthy. He infuriated ownership with his antics after one of his recent injuries, and the two sides have been trying to figure out how to proceed for the rest of the season.