Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham provided a positive update on star center Anthony Davis, as he continues to recover from a stress injury in his right foot.
Ham revealed that Davis was on the court for the Lakers on Saturday, a step forward in his recovery.
Darvin Ham said Anthony Davis was on the court a bit today. Did not say Davis is necessarily close to returning yet, but that he’s “trending in the right direction.”
— Kyle Goon (@kylegoon) January 14, 2023
The Lakers are hoping that things go well with Davis as he starts to get back onto the floor, as the team would love to have him back in the lineup as soon as possible this season.
This season, Davis is averaging 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 59.4 percent from the field this season. He was playing some of his best basketball of his NBA career before going down with the foot injury.
The Lakers have stayed afloat with Davis, mainly leaning on superstar LeBron James to carry the team. However, players like Thomas Bryant (who has replaced Davis in the starting lineup) and Russell Westbrook are also producing at a high level.
While Ham was noncommittal when asked when Davis will return, he appears to be making the necessary steps to get back on the court soon.
Los Angeles is still on the outside looking in of the play-in tournament in the Western Conference, so getting Davis back would certainly help boost the Lakers’ chances of making a run in the second half of the season.
The Lakers currently hold the No. 13 spot in the West with a 19-23 record. However, the Western Conference is extremely tight this season, and the team is just two games behind the No. 6-seeded Golden State Warriors.
With James playing at an All-NBA level this season despite being 38 years old, the Lakers need Davis back to make sure they don’t waste the four-time champion’s elite play.
Injuries have been a recurring issue for Davis over the last few seasons. He appeared in just 40 games last season and 36 in the 2020-21 campaign.
Los Angeles hasn’t won a playoff series since it won the NBA Finals in the Orlando, Fla. bubble in the 2019-20 season, and it could be in danger of going another season without another playoff win if Davis is unable to return relatively soon.
For now, Lakers fans have to look at Ham’s update as a positive until there is a firm timetable given out for when A.D. might be back.
