Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis is expected to take a “significant” step forward as he continues to work his way back from a stress injury in his right foot, according to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes.
“Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis, who is rehabbing a stress injury to his right foot, will be taking a significant step forward in a few days by testing out his foot on the court in an individual workout, league sources tell Bleacher Report,” Haynes wrote.
“This is one of the assignments in the ramp-up process before Davis is cleared for contact drills and then ultimately given the green light to rejoin his teammates for practices.
“Davis is progressing well with minimal pain, sources say.”
Davis, who has not played in a game for the Lakers since Dec. 16, was in the midst of one of the best seasons of his career before going down with the injury.
The Lakers star 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. An eight-time All-Star, Davis is essentially irreplaceable in the Lakers rotation.
The team has turned to Thomas Bryant in his absence, and the veteran center has played well.
Over his last 10 games (since Davis went down), Bryant is averaging 15.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game while shooting 64.4 percent from the field.
He’s been key for the Lakers as they stay afloat in the Western Conference. The team currently sits in the No. 12 spot, but three straight wins have pulled the Lakers to within 1.5 games of the final play-in tournament spot in the West.
It’s a good sign that Davis is expected to ramp up his activity soon, but the Lakers are going to want to be cautious with the four-time All-NBA selection.
Injuries have really crushed Davis over the past few seasons, and the Lakers have suffered because of it. Los Angeles hasn’t won a playoff series since the 2019-20 NBA Finals, and the team missed the playoffs in the 2021-22 season entirely.
Davis appeared in just 40 games last season and 36 in the 2020-21 campaign. His absence has put a lot of pressure on the role players around LeBron James, and they have failed to deliver more often than not.
A previous report from The Athletic’s Shams Charania stated that Davis was expected to be out until at least mid-January.
That could still be the case, but Lakers fans have to be optimistic that he’s nearing a return. If Davis’ individual workouts go well, it is likely he will continue to ramp up for a return to the lineup soon.
