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All-Star center Anthony Davis comes to the nation's capital tonight. Here's the scoop on what's in store.
Where and When? The game starts at 7:00 p.m. at Verizon Center. You can watch it on TV by tuning to Comcast SportsNet. If you don't live in the area, you can also see this game on NBA TV.
Are they good? The Pelicans' record is at 23-31, good enough for last in the Southwest Division, but keep in mind that they are in the same division as the Spurs, Rockets, and Mavericks, all teams that can realistically win 50 games or more this season. The Grizzlies are fourth in the division at 31-23 and will not make the Western Conference playoffs if the season ended today. They would easily be the third-best team in the Eastern Conference.
So if the Pelicans were in the East, they probably would be in the thick of the playoff race, even considering the injuries to Jrue Holiday and Ryan Anderson that have plagued the team recently. Without Davis, there may not be too much to root for in the Big Easy.
Who's out? Al Harrington has said that he's "ready to play" after yesterday's practice. Otherwise, everyone is healthy for the Wizards, and Andre Miller will play tonight. New Orleans is not in as fortunate of a position as the Wizards since Holiday has not played since Jan. 8 in a loss, coincidentally to the Wizards. Anderson has been out since Jan. 3. Jason Smith is out for the year.
What are they good at? The Pelicans are 11th in offensive rating, though I would imagine that they will drop in this category over time because of their injuries in the past month. Second, Davis is a rising star in this league and he's averaging over 20 points, 10 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game.
What are they bad at? Winning games in their own division, where the Pelicans are 3-8, and their own conference where they are 9-22. Second, they just can't stay healthy.
Who's going to win? The Wizards beat the Pelicans on the road back in January, so it is tempting to say that they will complete the sweep tonight. However, they also lost to other injury-hit teams like the Boston Celtics at home as well so it is far from a given. Therefore, I don't know.