National Basketball Association

Injury update: Anthony Davis leaves preseason game with ankle injury

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

foxsports

Anthony Davis left a preseason game in Beijing and is likely out with a sprained ankle.

The New Orleans Pelicans revolve around their star big man Anthony Davis. When he does well, the team tends to do well. However, when he doesn’t do well or he doesn’t play, the team tends to not do well. The Pelicans could be without Anthony Davis for 10 to 15 days as he suffered a Grade 2 sprained ankle during a preseason game in Beijing, China, per ESPN.

Davis stepped on the foot of Rockets center Nene Hilario while making a move toward the basket in the post with 6:37 left to play in the first quarter of the Rockets’ 116-104 victory. Davis stayed in the game after a timeout, but he checked out for good at the 5:07 mark in the first. He went back to the locker room and did not return.

Without Davis, the Pelicans are clearly a worse team than they are with him. Davis averaged 24.3 points per game last season with 2.0 blocks per game and 10.3 rebounds per game. He led the Pelicans in points per game, rebounds per game, blocks per game, defensive rebounds per game (8.1), and offensive rebounds per game (2.1).

Davis has struggled to stay healthy throughout his career and has never played more than 68 games in a season. The sheer number of different injuries he’s had, and to different body parts, is striking.

It's the variety of injuries that's most amazing. pic.twitter.com/JMzZ2vlz1S

— John Schuhmann (@johnschuhmann) October 12, 2016

He should return by the end of the month, but this is still a fairly significant loss for the Pelicans. Davis could miss their first regular season game on Oct. 26 against the Denver Nuggets. However, he should be back in time for the Pelicans’ Oct. 28 matchup against the Golden State Warriors. Without Davis, the Pelicans will likely turn to rookie Cheick Diallo or Terrence Jones.