Lakers News: Anthony Davis Out Indefinitely With Foot Injury
Well, it was fun while it lasted.
Your Los Angeles Lakers had appeared to have turned a corner of late following a brutal 2-10 start to their 2022-23 NBA season, having gone 10-6 since that initial stretch. A lot of their recent success can be chalked up to oft-hurt superstar Anthony "Street Clothes" Davis, who has looked like a different player since adjusting his shot profile to prioritize the post and fully committing to his role as a full-time center.
But the Lakers' season outlook is now very murky again, as Davis has reportedly suffered his annual major injury.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reveals that Davis will be unavailable for at least a month with what is still being publicly referred to (fairly generically) as a foot injury. It seems like the one month threshold could be just the start, as Charania adds that The Brow is going to be absent "indefinitely," a sentiment echoed by Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report and TNT Sports.
After Davis landed awkwardly on his foot following a midair collision of limbs with All-Star Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic in the first quarter of a Friday 126-108 win, he left the game to have his foot examined. AD initially returned in the second quarter and attempted valiantly to play through it, before leaving the game for good at halftime to undergo imaging.
An exact description of what it wrong with the foot is not forthcoming just yet.
Davis now will have missed big time in three consecutive Lakers seasons. Last year, he missed 42 contests with various maladies, and 36 games in a truncated, 72-game 2020-21 season.
AD has been, by far, the Lakers' best player, and one of the best players in the NBA overall, since becoming the primary offensive option for the team after co-star LeBron James had to miss a handful of games with an adductor strain.
Now, the Lakers will hope desperately to at least tread water and remain somewhat competitive with Davis absent. Most contracts inked over the summer have been trade-eligible since Thursday, which makes a variety of deals more tenable for teams.
Will L.A. make a move to improve in the short- and long-term, a la the much-discussed trade of Russell Westbrook and two first-round draft picks for Indiana Pacers veterans Myles Turner and Buddy Hield? Yes, they would miss Westbrook's playmaking, but the knockdown shooting and quality frontcourt play they'd be getting in return could be a big help, especially with Davis out for a while.
For now, reserve big man Thomas Bryant will most likely start in the eight-time All-Star's stead. He has looked good in limited minutes, and enjoyed a big game after getting extended run on Friday (he scored 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the floor and pulled down six rebounds), but he's no Anthony Davis.
