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The Los Angeles Lakers could welcome superstar Anthony Davis back to the lineup within the next two weeks, per a new report on the former top pick’s progress.
Davis has been out since February 14 with a calf strain and Achilles tendinosis. The Lakers have gone 12-14 in that span without their All-NBAer, falling from No. 2 in the Western Conference to No. 5.
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The defending champs are seven games back of the first-place Utah Jazz and just five games ahead of the No. 8 seed Grizzlies. However, the Lakers should be getting a boost soon from Davis returning. He is expected to be re-evaluated when the Lakers get back to Los Angeles following their current six-game road trip, which wraps up on Tuesday against the Hornets. If all is good, Davis could return in 10-14 days, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Prior to the injury, Davis was averaging 22.5 points and 8.4 rebounds, while also helping bolster the Lakers’ stout defense with 1.8 blocks and 1.3 steals.
Analyst: Anthony Davis Question Mark for Lakers
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Getty ImagesAnthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers have been taking a very cautious approach with Davis, knowing that they need him healthy for the postseason. What’s scary for the Lakers is the fact that the Achilles issue has been a nagging one for Davis.
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith is among those worried that things could get worse for Davis after he returns.
“If they are healthy they have two of the top five players on the planet in Anthony Davis and LeBron James,” Smith said on First Take on Monday. “I am not concerned at all about LeBron James. He’s the one player in this league that, you know what, take as much time as you need. I have nothing to say. … I don’t give a damn if LeBron is healthy and wants to take a month off. He’s earned it.
“Anthony Davis — that’s a different matter. Because Anthony Davis’ durability is the question mark here. When healthy, there’s not much to worry about because we know how lethal he is. But the injury he sustained and the way he grabbed his leg was eerily similar to Kevin Durant. That what has me worried about Anthony Davis. They say he’s going to come back, but I’m almost of the mindset of I’ll believe it when I see it.”
Smith is referencing the ruptured Achilles that Durant suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals that kept him out for the entirety of the next season.
LeBron James 3 Weeks Out From Return
After Davis gets back, it won’t be too long before James returns, per Wojnarowski. James is three weeks away from returning from his high ankle sprain, which would put his total recovery time at around six weeks from the initial injury.
James has rarely missed so much time in his career and admitted it’s been hard to be on the sideline.
“Nothing angers and saddens me more than not being available to and for my teammates!” he tweeted after suffering the injury. “I’m hurt inside and out right now. The road back from recovery begins now. Back soon like I never left.”
Despite the injuries, the Lakers still have the second-best odds to win the title, per Odds Shark, behind only the Brooklyn Nets.
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