National Basketball Association

Only a 'voodoo doctor' can save the injury-plagued Pelicans

Published Mar. 29, 2016 4:06 p.m. ET

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The New Orleans Pelicans are cursed. Coming off their first playoff appearance since 2011, the Pelicans entered 2016 with aspirations to make a deep postseason run. Instead, several meaningful injuries combined with their inability to execute head coach Alvin Gentry's up-tempo system (particular as it relates to the defensive end), have destroyed New Orleans' season.

They're 27-46. Anthony Davis, Tyreke Evans, Eric Gordon, Jrue Holiday, Alonzo Gee, Quincy Pondexter and Bryce Dejean-Jones have all suffered season-ending injuries. Ryan Anderson was recently diagnosed with a sports hernia and will seek a second opinion, but he too may not see the court again until the 2016-17 season.

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— Mason Ginsberg (@MasonGinsberg) March 29, 2016

It's all hard to believe, but Gentry, somehow, is maintaining a sense of humor (via ESPN):

After losing Alonzo Gee in the third quarter to a right quad injury and Jrue Holiday in the waning minutes to a right eye injury, Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry put out an SOS for any and all help to their season-long injury woes. "I am gonna send out an all-points bulletin to anybody in the French Quarter or anywhere else," Gentry said after a 99-91 win at Smoothie King Center. "We need a voodoo doctor or something here. We've gotta find the bones under this place. We've got to do something, because this is becoming comical."

This is all so ridiculous. A combination of terrible luck and some questionable work by the training staff have effectively ruined a season of Davis' career.

There's really nothing to say here expect that everything involving the Pelicans stinks. Only one of their five-man units has logged more than 100 minutes, and both their defense and point differential are currently ranked in the bottom five.

Hopefully this team's luck turns around in time for next season, because Davis is a special player whose talents shouldn't go to waste.