Sounding a bit like he’s coming down with a cold himself, Alvin Gentry told media members prior to Saturday’s tip-off that recent starting small forward Dante Cunningham will be sidelined against Milwaukee, due to illness. Cunningham had to leave Thursday’s game vs. Detroit in the first half for the same reason, but later returned to help close out the win over the Pistons.
With Cunningham out of action tonight, Alonzo Gee is expected to make his 27th start of the season. Gee was in the New Orleans first unit for an extended stretch, joining Anthony Davis as one of the starting forwards every game from Nov. 13 to Jan. 6. Recently Gee has come off the bench and been productive, averaging 7.7 points in the Pelicans’ last three home games, all wins.
Other notes from pregame at the Smoothie King Center:
Gentry on Omer Asik, who is coming off perhaps his best game statistically Thursday vs. Detroit (12 points, 8 rebounds): “I think he’s playing well. He’s a really smart player defensively. He’s done all we ask of him on that end of the floor. To be honest, he did struggle early on (in the season). I thought most of it was due to the injuries he had. It was never this big injury, but always this nagging injury, something that slowed him down just a little bit, didn’t allow him to move like he wanted to, box out or be as physical as he wanted to. Now he’s playing how we anticipated him playing.” …
Gentry on Asik’s scoring being viewed as a bonus: “We would love to have that. The one thing we talk to him about is kind of slowing himself down a half a step. I think he goes too quickly. Anything we get on that end is great for us.” …
The Pelicans want either Tyreke Evans or Jrue Holiday to be in the game for all 48 minutes. Gentry: “We’re trying to stagger it so they play some together, but that we always have one of those guys on the floor.”
