Los Angeles Lakers big man Anthony Davis is expected to be out of the team’s lineup for a little while longer.
“The Lakers dropped to 27-32 with Friday’s loss to the Clippers, ninth in the Western Conference and playing without Davis for what sources told ESPN are likely another four to five weeks with a right mid-foot sprain,” Adrian Wojnarowski wrote.
Simply reaching the postseason has now become the goal for a Lakers team that entered the 2021-22 season with its eyes on capturing another NBA title.
The inability of offseason acquisition Russell Westbrook to mesh well with the rest of the Lakers and injuries to key players like Davis have certainly changed the Lakers’ mindset.
Davis’ absence offers ominous parallels to last season, when he missed much of the second half of the campaign due to injury. While the Lakers managed to get past the play-in tournament, they were then eliminated by the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the playoffs.
Not having Davis in the lineup puts added pressure on players such as LeBron James.
This season, Davis has played in just 37 games and is averaging 23.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.2 steals per game. That level of all-around performance is extremely difficult to replicate.
While the Lakers wait for Davis to get back on the court, they’re hoping to get back on a consistent winning track after 13 losses in their last 19 contests.
The Lakers have two home games coming up, starting with a Sunday night matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans, Davis’ old team. Two nights later, the Lakers will host Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.
