Lakers Injury Report: Anthony Davis Downgraded Ahead of Blazers Clash

The Lakers star has been downgraded ahead of a game against Portland.

Dec 31, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis (3) moves the ball against Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley (4) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images / Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

One of the biggest issues facing the Los Angeles Lakers is the health of the team. They have two of the best players in the game, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Unfortunately for them, both players have a tendency to get injured for various reasons between the two of them.

James is 40 years old. While he takes immaculate care of his body, there are just some injuries that he can't prevent. Gone are the days when he will play 78 games a season. The Lakers just need to make sure he can play close to 70 in order to keep them in the playoff mix.

Davis has much worse issues with injuries. Over the course of his career, he has battled the injury bug extensively. Last year was the healthiest year he's had, though. Davis played 76 games, which was the most games he had played in a single season since 2017-18 season with the Pelicans.

Davis suffered an ankle sprain on Christmas Day against the Warriors. He played just seven minutes in that game but did not miss the next game against the Kings. In fact, he has played in each of the last two games against Sacramento and the Cavaliers, playing at least 37 minutes in each matchup.

Ahead of the game against the Trail Blazers on Thursday, his status has been downgraded. He was listed as questionable ahead of that matchup against Portland. The Lakers could decide to play it safe and have him rest against a team that is one of the worst in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles knows that they need to start stacking wins together in what has suddenly become a very cramped Western Conference. They sit at seventh in the West right now but are just a game ahead of the Timberwolves for the eighth-seed and just a game-and-a-half ahead of the Spurs for ninth.

Davis obviously helps the Lakers win games by being a massive force on both offense and defensively. He has played in 31 games this year, which means he's missed just one game. He's on track to have the healthiest season of his career.

Davis is averaging 26 points, 11.6 rebounds, and two rebounds per game. He's on track to have yet another All-NBA season. Keeping him healthy will be the Lakers' top priority moving forward.

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