Anthony Davis has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, and now, he’s expected to miss at least one month with a right foot injury, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. According to Charania, the Lakers are bracing for an indefinite absence from their star big man.
Davis gave the Los Angeles Lakers just 76 games over the past two seasons, but this season he appeared in 25 of the team’s first 28 games. In staying healthy, Davis also played perhaps the best basketball of his career. On Friday, though, that stretch was jeopardized against the Denver Nuggets when he suffered an injury to his right foot.
https://youtu.be/SSD8PINsgVE
It came in the first half against the Denver Nuggets when Davis seemingly tweaked his ankle on a post-up attempt against Nikola Jokic. Davis wound up playing 17 minutes in the first half, but he did not come back onto the court for the second. The Lakers ultimately ruled him out for the game with what they are describing as a right foot injury.
Anthony Davis tweaked his ankle in the first half on this play.
Thomas Bryant started the second half in place of AD.https://t.co/HOYut9bmC6
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 17, 2022
The Lakers will likely struggle to win games for a while with Davis sidelined. They have been 11 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor this season, and while Thomas Bryant has shown promise as a backup lately, asking him to play the sort of minutes Davis does is unreasonable. LeBron James has played some minutes at center in the past to compensate when Davis goes out, but that alignment has largely been disastrous defensively.
Ultimately the Lakers will likely be as cautious as possible with Davis. Keeping him healthy is their only chance at meaningful contention. In that vein, the last two games Davis has missed have been half of a back-to-back. If that is the case, the onus is on the rest of the roster to pick up the slack without him. Davis has carried the Lakers this season. Now it might be time for someone else to take a turn.
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Source: CBSSPORTS.COM
