Lakers: Will MCL Injury Prevent Ninth All-Star Appearance For Anthony Davis?

Will the injured Lakers superstar have played in enough games to merit consideration this season?

Will eight-time Los Angeles Lakers All-Star forward/center Anthony Davis have played in enough games this season to merit All-Star consideration by the time voting concludes?

A refresher: after Minnesota Timberwolves power forward Jaden McDaniels fell into Davis's left knee during a 110-92 Lakers loss, Davis left the game to undergo extensive testing. An MRI revealed that the 6'10" big man had an MCL sprain, and it was established that the Lakers would need to wait at least four weeks before even re-assessing the knee.

At the earliest, AD will be evaluated around the weekend of January 15th-16th. The Lakers are scheduled to play the Denver Nuggets that Saturday. Should Davis be ready for that contest, he would have missed 15 games on the season. Not ideal, but a forgivable portion relative to an 82-game slate Given that All-Star Game fan voting will end on January 22nd, odds seem slim that Davis would be top-of-mind for that segment of the voting population, which comprises 50% of the vote tally for starters (along with players and media). NBA coaches vote for the All-Star bench players (14 players in all) at some point after starters are announced. The All-Star Game this year is scheduled to happen in Cleveland on February 22nd.

Should Davis return around the early side of his projected timeline and the Lakers hover near a .500 record, his numbers could help him secure a nod. If the Lakers go on another epic losing streak, or Davis remains sidelined for a more extended period of time, the case for his inclusion grows murky.

The counting stats as of this writing are pretty darn impressive (outside the middling win-loss record). In 27 games, during which the Lakers went 13-14, Davis is averaging 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists a night. He is connecting on 52.1% from the floor and 72.7% from the free-throw line. Those are All-Star numbers, sure. Though Davis has not been quite the offensive force we're used to seeing in terms of his athleticism or jump-shooting, and his defensive efficiency has been limited by his terrible defensive teammates and decreased mobility, his stats remain pretty mind-blowing.

AD's standing within the league, as one of its best 20 or so players, is hardly in question. But his inclusion in Cleveland could hinge on how quickly he recuperates, and how LA fares when he returns.