Anthony Davis out, Dirk Nowitzki in NBA All-Star Game
Another Western Conference All-Star starter down.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis will sit out of Sunday's NBA All-Star Game after being voted to the team by fans, the team announced Wednesday night. Out with a sprained right shoulder, he joins elected West starters Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers on the sideline for the big event in New York.
Dirk Nowitzki was announced as NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's replacement selection soon after Davis withdrew. Nowitzki, 36 and making his 13th All-Star appearance, is averaging 18.3 points and 6.0 rebounds a game this season.
West coach Steve Kerr named Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors and James Harden of the Houston Rockets as replacements for Bryant and Griffin on Wednesday night. He now will have to select one more starter.
Power forwards LaMarcus Aldridge of the Portland Trail Blazers and Tim Duncan of the San Antonio Spurs are Kerr's best options for a traditional starting lineup, while Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant offers an intriguing small-ball option.
Davis has missed the past two games after a hard fall Saturday against the Chicago Bulls. The Pelicans lost all three games and are 2-5 without Davis this season.
"After careful thought and consideration, I've decided I will not be participating in this year's NBA All-Star competitions," he said in the Pelicans' release. "I want to thank the fans for voting me into the All-Star game and I am sorry I will not be able to play.
"While I'm disappointed that I won't be able to compete this weekend, I'm still very excited about the opportunity to be a part of the All-Star events in New York and celebrate our game with some of the NBA's greatest figures.
"More than anything, I am anxious to get healthy and back on the court with my teammates after the All-Star break."
The third-year power forward has been statistically unparalleled this season, averaging 24.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. His 31.79 Player Efficiency Rating, which measures a player's impact and quality, would be the second-highest in NBA history, according to basketball-reference.com.
Davis made his first All-Star appearance last season, when the Pelicans hosted the event. The No. 1 pick of the 2012 NBA draft already has been heralded as arguably the best player in the NBA, but injuries have cost him seven games this season after 15 last season and 18 as a rookie.