The New Orleans Pelicans announced Thursday that center Omer Asik will be sidelined for the next three weeks, as he recovers from a right calf straing. The Pelicans have time to figure this out since it’s still preseason, but this could become a real problem. Starting with Friday night’s preseason game against the Atlanta Hawks in Jacksonville, Fla., Gentry may use lineups that include swingman Tyreke Evans and guards Jrue Holiday, Eric Gordon and Norris Cole all paired together with Davis playing center. They said they were interested and wanted to bring me over for workouts, but I had to pay my way to get here.
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Asik is going to have to sit out the remainder of the preseason at the very least and there is no guarantee he will be back in the three week timetable they have given him.
Despite leading by as much 15 in the first half, the Pelicans didn’t push the pace or make enough shots like Gentry hoped to see in the second half. New Zealand’s Corey Webster reportedly paid for his own flight to New Orleans for a chance to compete for a roster spot with the Pelicans.
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Head coach Alvin Gentry said after Ajinca’s injury that he would play Davis at center a few of the time but now with Asik’s injury he may have to start Davis at center and have his superstar play the bulk of his minutes there. Sadly, we won’t be able to watch it on TV and will be limited to radio. “It’s not thinking about it, but running this kind of fluid flow of the game and reading off the defense because a lot of our offense is off of transition screens, especially for the big men”. We have to always run.
