Anthony Davis Injury: Updates on Pelicans Star's Wrist and Return

The New Orleans Pelicans have a big problem to deal with, literally and figuratively. Star center Anthony Davis left the team's 88-84 preseason win over the Washington Wizards on Monday due to a sprained wrist.

The Pelicans' Twitter account provided the news:

John Reid of NOLA.com confirmed Davis' status for the remainder of the night:

The Pelicans have been an ascending franchise for the past two years. They totaled 21 wins in the strike-shortened 2011-12 season, got the No. 1 pick in the draft following that campaign and took Davis. He led the franchise to 27 wins as a rookie and helped boost that number to 34 last season. 

Injuries, unfortunately, are nothing new for Davis. He missed 33 games in his two campaigns with the Pelicans due to an assortment of ailments. All that time out of the lineup has kept the 6'10" star from reaching the heights his raw talent suggests he can. 

Davis also gave the Pelicans an injury scare in their first preseason game against Miami on Oct. 4. According to Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com, the 21-year-old jammed the index finger on his left hand but was available to return:

It's scary for the rest of the NBA to think that Davis can get better, because he improved in every category last year. His points per game increased from 13.5 to 20.8, blocks went from 1.8 to 2.8 and rebounds went from 8.2 to 10.0. 

Davis has been going virtually nonstop all year. He went from the NBA season to playing for Team USA during the FIBA World Cup, but he told Nakia Hogan of The Times-Picayune that he wasn't feeling any fatigue coming into training camp:

"

I'm 21-years-old. If I'm getting tired right now then we got a problem. I love playing the game of basketball. Being over there (in Spain for the World Cup) kind of kept me in shape. Coach Monty (Williams) was over there and kept me working on my game and what I needed to work on this season.

I think they are going to do a great job of making sure I manage my body well, whether it's season, preseason or training camp. But as far as right now, I'm ready to go.

"

There's a chance the Pelicans can be a sleeper playoff contender in the Western Conference, but health is the big question. They were decimated by injuries to key players, including Davis, last year. If they are without their best player for any length of time, we will be talking about what might have been. 

This also brings up the questions about Davis' durability. Despite his insistence that there was no fatigue, the Pelicans tried to manage him in the preseason to make sure he was ready to go full-bore at the start of the regular season.

It's certainly not time to give up on the young stud, but concerns about his ability to stay on the court are legitimate. 

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