The New Orleans Pelicans suffered a key loss on Monday when Alexis Ajinca was diagnosed with a strained right hamstring that will likely keep him out for four to six weeks. Ajinca was set to be the backup center behind Omer Asik so now with him out the Pelicans are going to have to figure something else out. One of the things they are going to consider doing is playing Anthony Davis at center a little bit, according to John Reid of The Times Picayune.
Ajinca had the best year of his career last season when he averaged 6.5 points and 4.6 rebounds in just 14.1 minutes per game. The 7 foot-2 center will leave a big hole, both literally and figuratively, and the Pelicans are hoping that their star player can help fill that hole.
''We'll just try different combinations of players, one of the things we'll do is experiment a little bit with A.D. as a five-man. I think this is the time of year where you really got to find out the combination of guys you can play and the chemistry and how they fit together," said head coach Alvin Gentry.
Davis has played center before but he has spent most of his time as a power forward which is the position that suits him best. Davis has the size (6 foot-10) to be able to play the position and is a good enough rebounder and defender to handle center so it shouldn't be a problem for him. Davis has also bulked up to 253 pounds this season so that should allow him to be able to handle defending bigger players in the post.
When the Pelicans do decide to move Davis to the center spot they will likely go with a small lineup that includes three guards. This potential small lineup would provide incredible floor spacing and could be tough to stop on offense while also not giving up too much defensively as Davis is one of the best rim protectors in the game. This isn't the ideal situation for Gentry and the Pelicans but it is one they will need to deal with while Ajinca is out.
Another potential lineup option for the Pelicans with Ajinca out is to throw Kendrick Perkins in there as the backup center. Perkins signed this offseason to be a mentor for Davis but he is still a player that could provide toughness and post defense so that is another option Gentry has. The problem with playing Perkins is that Gentry wants to play fast this season and Perkins is a lumbering big man so playing Davis at the five while Ajinca recovers may make the most sense.
