Getty Lakers star Anthony Davis does not appear close to returning to the court.
The Los Angeles Lakers are missing LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Andre Drummond with injuries and could be without their trio for a little while longer. Prior to the team’s loss to the Clippers, Lakers head coach Frank Vogel described Davis as being “a ways away” from being back in the lineup.
“Yeah, they’ll both [Davis and James] be on the road with us,” Vogel explained, per Lakers Nation. “AD continues to ramp up, but still a ways away. LeBron is still out indefinitely.”
Davis is still dealing with a calf strain which the Lakers originally announced would sideline the big man for four weeks. We are now approaching the two-month mark as Davis last played on February 14th in the Lakers’ loss to the Nuggets.
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Drummond Is Still Not Able to Put on His Shoe
Drummond has had a frustrating start to his Lakers tenure after his toenail was ripped off in his March 31st debut against the Bucks. ESPN originally reported Drummond may only miss two games with the toe injury, but Vogel’s latest update does not sound promising as the big man is still unable to put on a shoe.
“He’s still having trouble putting his shoe on the first two days through it,” Vogel noted, per ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “He’s just not there yet. He’s still in a great deal of discomfort and we want to make sure that this thing gets behind him.”
Drummond is technically listed as questionable for the Lakers’ matchup against the Raptors on April 6. Given Vogel’s comments, it would be surprising if Drummond is able to suit up against the Raptors.
Vogel Noted There Have Been ‘No Setback[s]’ with LeBron & A.D.
James is dealing with a high-ankle sprain he sustained on March 20th against the Hawks. The Lakers have given James an “indefinite” timeline but the star has been projected to miss four to six weeks. James recently posted an Instagram photo showing his left ankle in a walking boot.
Vogel shot down the notion that Davis or James has had a setback in their recoveries. Instead, the Lakers coach noted the team wants to be “cautious” with both players.
“No setback. Just being cautious with making sure the build-up is happening at the right pace and that this thing is totally behind him,” Vogel detailed, per Lakers Nation.
Drummond is the closest of the injured trio to returning to the court. The newest Laker hinted at potentially playing again this week in a recent Instagram post. Davis has returned to doing some on-court work, but it remains to be seen when he will play again. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope recently joked that Davis could “play five minutes” but provided an overall positive update on the big man’s outlook.
“He’s making great progress,” Caldwell-Pope said, per Silver Screen and Roll’s Harrison Faigen. “We were just joking with him that he should play five minutes tomorrow… He says he’s feeling good.”