The Los Angeles Lakers got an impressive bounce-back victory at home over the Denver Nuggets, but unfortunately they did not come away unscathed. Superstar big man Anthony Davis left the game in the second quarter and never emerged from the locker room after halftime.
Considering Davis’ injury history, seeing him leave the game and not return is always a major concern. He has missed large portions of each of the last two seasons but was playing his best basketball since helping lead the Lakers to the 2020 NBA Championship.
Exactly what the issue is for Davis remains unclear, but according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, there is hope within the Lakers organization that the injury is not a severe one:
A source familiar with Anthony Davis’ injury told ESPN the Lakers big man is experiencing discomfort in his right foot but there is hope Davis did not suffer anything severe. He will likely undergo an MRI for further evaluation
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 17, 2022
Obviously both the Lakers and Davis are hopeful that this was simply a minor injury and the star big man won’t miss much time. It has been the play of Davis that has helped turn around the Lakers’ season after an awful start. Davis has been performing at an MVP level, leading to a belief that the Lakers may not be too far away from being a real contender in a wide-open Western Conference.
Even more concerning is the fact that it is a foot issue which have historically hampered many premiere big men throughout the history of the league. Someone of Davis’ size and athleticism puts an immense amount of pressure on his feet and that often causes issues that are difficult to escape.
Lakers coach Darvin Ham has said that Davis will be evaluated on Saturday, which likely includes that MRI, and once more is known, the team will move forward from there.
Lakers have urgency to get a deal done, but won’t rush
Davis’ injury could also impact what the Lakers decide to do in the trade market over the next few weeks. The team believes they are close to contending, but that all changes if Davis is forced to miss a significant amount of time.
As it stands, the Lakers reportedly have a sense of urgency to get a trade done sooner rather than later, but it still likely won’t be for another 2-to-4 weeks.
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