Anthony Davis Injury Update
We’ve all been waiting to see how LeBron James is recovering from his left ankle sprain, but what about Anthony Davis? He’s been out of action since Feb. 16 and has not practiced in over a month. But what does his recovery timetable look like? Here’s the latest update. And a little bit of perspective on the injury and Davis’ return. In this Anthony Davis injury update, we’ll talk about the timetable for his recovery.
LeBron James is out with a left ankle sprain
The Los Angeles Lakers are not rushing to rush LeBron James back from an ankle injury. The injury occurred Sunday during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. The point guard stepped on Jaxson Hayes’ foot while getting in position for an offensive rebound. James was examined and wrapped after the game but did not return to the court. He left the game with a limp and did not return to practice or play until Wednesday.
Immediately after the injury, LeBron James said he felt awful. He did not feel much better after the game, but he still hopes to play. The Lakers have lost eight straight games, and will need a healthy LeBron James to compete in the play-in tournament, which begins April 12 and ends April 15.
With James out of the lineup, the Los Angeles Lakers‘ playoff hopes have been dashed. The Lakers are now 31-43, one game behind the San Antonio Spurs, and without James’ scoring power, it will be difficult for them to compete. Even though LeBron James has averaged 30.3 points this season, he has only played 56 games. Despite that, he scored 38 points in the Lakers’ last home game against New Orleans.
In addition to James, the Lakers will be without center Joel Embiid and reserve guard Andrew Wiggins. If James is ruled out for the rest of the season, the Philadelphia 76ers will likely take over the Lakers’ top spot. If Embiid is able to return, the 76ers will be favored. In the meantime, the Los Angeles Lakers will miss the playoffs for the second time in four seasons. Despite Embiid’s absence, the Lakers will face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday and play the Denver Nuggets on Sunday.
LeBron James hasn’t played since Feb. 16
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James will be sidelined for Friday’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans with an ankle sprain, but the team will also be without star center Anthony Davis, who has been out with a mid-foot sprain since Feb. 16. The Lakers will continue their struggle to maintain a playoff spot without their star players.
The Lakers have not played without their star forward. James has played with Anthony Davis in 21 of their 21 games this season. The Lakers are 11-10 when James is playing alongside Davis, but their playoff hopes could be in jeopardy if the star forward is out until early next month. The remaining schedule for the Lakers is brutal, with games at Utah, Dallas and Phoenix. Without Davis, the Lakers will likely be out of the postseason.
The absence of Anthony Davis has had an impact on the Lakers’ postseason hopes. The Pelicans have a two-game cushion over the San Antonio Spurs, and they could move into a playoff spot without Anthony Davis. If Anthony Davis plays well Friday, the Lakers will have a chance to win a postseason game and take the top seed in the West.
Both players will be game-time decisions, but it’s a good sign that both players are preparing for a return. In fact, the Lakers could make an 11-player lineup if Davis is healthy enough to play. The injury-prone Davis has been targeting a return date for some time, so it’s likely that Davis will play more than James. But there’s no telling.
Anthony Davis hasn’t practiced since Feb. 16
Normally, the Lakers would let their injured players practice for two days before returning to the court. But with no two-day breaks left this season, they may have to force Davis to start a game he doesn’t necessarily need to play. Besides, the Lakers are in a tight race to the playoffs, and Davis’ injury could make that impossible. Regardless of the timeline, Davis’ status is far from certain, so he could still end up missing valuable time.
If Davis doesn’t play in the next two games, the Lakers might need to find a trade partner to give up their star center. The Lakers have already traded a number of key assets for Davis, but that’s not likely to be easy for them. They must gauge the market before offering too much to a team for a player like Davis. In addition, Davis hasn’t proven he can be the face of their franchise once LeBron James leaves.
As for the Lakers, they’re in desperate need of Davis, as the injury has kept him off the court for nearly six weeks. The Lakers’ next game will be against the Dallas Mavericks, and they’re looking for Davis to return and help them close the gap. Regardless of whether the Lakers win or lose, Davis’ return will be a key part of their playoff hopes. With a win on Saturday, they’ll take over the playoff race and advance to the NBA finals.
While Davis has not practiced publicly since Feb. 16, he did appear on the court before the game. He was wearing a bulky brace over his injured knee, but the injury is merely precautionary. The Lakers plan to give an update on the health of their star center, but Davis’ return isn’t expected until the All-Star break. The Lakers will make an announcement on Davis’ recovery on Sunday, but the timing of his return is not yet confirmed.
Recovery timeline
The Lakers announced that Anthony Davis is out for the entire 2021-22 season after the All-Star forward suffered a midfoot sprain on Feb. 17. Davis will be evaluated in four weeks. According to the team’s injury report, head coach Frank Vogel said he expected Davis to return this season. However, a four-week recovery time is still not a given. The Lakers hope that he will be able to play during their road trip later this month.
If he can’t play during this time, the Lakers might have to look elsewhere to find another guard. While Davis is expected to be out four weeks, the Lakers still need stability and depth on their roster. While they are expected to use Davis in the final week of the season, they may need to make a trade for another guard. The team will also miss Davis’ presence in the low post. That means the team will have to look for another big-name guard to fill that void.
The injury timeline for Anthony Davis has been progressing steadily. He will be out at least for 14 games. He missed Game 5 and tried to play in Game 6 in Phoenix, but his attempt ended in the first quarter. With a four-month recovery time, the star big man should be back in the lineup by the start of training camp. The Lakers were just two months away from a championship last year, and Davis’ return will provide hope of a deep playoff run and a title challenge.
The Lakers’ schedule without Anthony Davis is severely limited by the All-Star break. He will likely miss at least two games over the break. An X-rays are negative and the team will reassess him after the break. The team will make an informed decision once Davis returns to full health. However, it is important to remember that the injury recovery timeline for Anthony Davis is never certain. There are always unknown factors that may prevent a player from playing, but the Lakers are determined to be safe to play without the star.
Impact on Lakers’ playoff hopes
With the loss of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers are already in a precarious position. The team won the play-in tournament last season and advanced to the first round before losing to the Phoenix Suns in the first round. Coach Frank Vogel has said that the team has discussed the importance of winning the game and what the stakes are. With LeBron out, the Lakers blew a 20-point halftime lead. This loss ended the Lakers’ hopes of catching the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference.
Los Angeles is currently 26-31 without the star center, but they are still in the hunt for the playoffs. Los Angeles is just two games behind the Nuggets for ninth place in the western conference. Without Davis, the Lakers would not be able to repeat their 2016-17 season. But they are still in the playoff hunt, and without Davis, the team could fall in the second round.
Even with Davis out, the team has depth and talent to cover for his absence. Kyle Kuzma has been excellent as a reserve and will likely space the floor better than Anthony Davis. Kuzma is an excellent defender in his own right and can be an effective third option on offense. Meanwhile, Harrell will take on a bigger role on offense without Davis. If Davis is out for the remainder of the season, the team will be able to focus on LeBron, whose playoff hopes will be in jeopardy.
Injuries are always a problem, and Anthony Davis is no exception. Last season, the Lakers’ chances of reaching the playoffs were severely hurt by Davis’ injuries. With the help of LeBron James, he and Anthony Davis formed a formidable duo, but their playoff hopes were hampered. As the season progresses, Davis is more likely to return. The Lakers will need him to play well.
