Getty LeBron James congratulates Anthony Davis.
After dropping two straight games to the Brooklyn Nets in China, the Lakers head back to the states for a quick turnaround with another preseason game against the Golden State Warriors. With Davis nursing a thumb sprain and LeBron actively fighting off father time, head coach Frank Vogel seems to have made the decision to give both men the night off.
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Anthony Davis & LeBron James Out of Lakers’ Lineup vs. Warriors
While the Lakers need James and Davis to spend as much time on the court together as possible, the move makes sense given the Lakers’ rigorous schedule over the coming days. Having just played in China on Saturday morning, the Lakers have games on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday – all against the Warriors.
Had the Lakers been given a standard preseason schedule, it is likely that James and Davis (barring injury) would have been on the court together for every single one. As a result, the Lakers will have to lean much more heavily on role players like Danny Green, Rajon Rondo, and Alex Caruso.
Especially considering how weak the rest of the Lakers looked in games against the Nets, the additional on-court time should help tremendously with the group of mostly new faces learning to play as a unit. Though it may look a bit ugly given the fact that the team is almost certainly heavily jet-lagged, the time should be invaluable regardless.
For the Warriors, Draymond Green and D’Angelo Russell are both sitting out for rest purposes tonight as well.
Anthony Davis Injury Update
MRI on right thumb of Anthony Davis returned clean today, league source tells ESPN.
An MRI confirmed today that Anthony Davis’ thumb didn’t suffer any significant damage and that he had only suffered a grade one strain. With no structural damage and purely some mild pain to manage, Laker fans seem to have dodged a bullet with their new toy.
While Davis struggled relatively in the game leading up to his injury, he had looked spectacular on the offensive and defensive end in the two games prior. While he did have a bit of trouble pulling down rebounds against the Nets’ monstrous frontcourt, his presence helped keep the Lakers from getting too badly bullied by the Nets down low.
Davis has struggled with injuries throughout his career and has yet to play more than 75 games in a season. The hope is that by bringing in new Director of Sports Performance, Judy Seto, they can keep the team (and Davis) in a bit better shape over the course of the grueling 82 game season.
Injuries were a major concern for the Lakers last season with every key player missing significant time in some capacity. In fact, the only player to suit up in the full 82 game slate was Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Most notably, LeBron James missed extended time for the first time in his career with a serious groin injury. While LeBron seemed healthy on his return, the Lakers decided not to take any chances and shut him down once making the playoffs was no longer a possibility.