The New Orleans Pelicans are hoping to see big man Anthony Davis return to the lineup around Christmas, according to Yahoo! Sports' Marc Spears.

Davis fractured his hand on Dec. 1 against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. At the time, he was said to be out four to six weeks. His return would be a huge boost to the 11-11 Pelicans, who are 11th in the Western Conference.

Before the injury, Davis was far and away New Orleans' best player and performing at a higher level than almost anyone in the league. On the season he's averaging 18.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.6 steals and a league-leading 3.6 blocks per game.

Davis' 28.25 PER puts him behind only LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul. For a 20-year-old second-year player, those numbers are mind-boggling.

New Orleans has gone 3-3 in his absence, with power forward Ryan Anderson playing big minutes and shouldering a heavy scoring load. The Pelicans are in the midst of a five-game road trip, which will end on Dec. 23 in Sacramento. They'll then play the Denver Nuggets at home on Dec. 27.

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