There has been plenty of adversity in the Lakers’ season of ups and downs, but help may be on the way soon.
Anthony Davis, who has returned to peak form this season, suffered a setback as he exited the team’s win over the Nuggets on Dec. 16 with a foot injury. This season, Davis has lived up to his superstar billing, averaging 28.1 points, 12.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game while shooting 59.3 percent from the field.
The Lakers have struggled mightily without their star big man, losing five of their seven games since Davis’ injury. But the latest news suggests Davis’ road to recovery is going well and he could be back sooner than expected.
Here’s what we know about Davis’ injury and what it means for the Lakers moving forward.
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What is Anthony Davis’ injury?
Davis left LA’s win over Denver on Dec. 16 with what was described as a right foot injury. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin, Davis was “experiencing discomfort in his foot” but there was “hope” that the injury wasn’t severe.
Davis suffered the injury in the first quarter as he scored on Nikola Jokic in the post. Davis came up limping after making a reverse layup. While he remained in the game until halftime, Davis continued to hobble and was visibly impacted by the discomfort. He was ruled out at the beginning of the third quarter.
Here is the play where Davis appeared to suffer the injury:
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How long will Anthony Davis be out?
The Athletic’s Shams Charania announced initially that Davis was expected to miss “at least one month” due to his right foot injury. Charania added that the Lakers were “bracing for an indefinite absence.”
Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis is expected to miss at least one month after suffering a right foot injury, multiple sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 18, 2022
The Lakers provided an update nearly a week later, revealing that Davis has a stress fracture in his right foot and will be out indefinitely.
On Dec. 30, ESPN’s McMenamin provided a positive update on Davis’ injury, courtesy of Lakers head coach Darvin Ham.
Darvin Ham, two weeks after Anthony Davis suffered the stress injury in his right foot, says “the biggest thing is, his pain has just about dissipated” and says Davis is trending in the right direction when it comes to approaching a ramp up to return to the court.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 30, 2022
Here is the Lakers’ schedule over the next few weeks.
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| Dec. 30 | at Hawks | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Jan. 2 | at Hornets | 7 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 4 | vs. Heat | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| Jan. 6 | vs. Hawks | 10:30 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 7 | at Kings | 10 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 9 | at Nuggets | 9 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 12 | vs. Mavericks | 10 p.m. | TNT |
| Jan. 15 | vs. 76ers | 9:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Jan. 16 | vs. Rockets | 10:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Jan. 18 | vs. Kings | 10:30 p.m. | — |
Anthony Davis games missed 2022-23
| Date | Opponent | Reason |
| Oct. 28 | at Timberwolves | Lower back tightness |
| Nov. 26 | at Spurs | Bruised left calf |
| Dec. 7 | at Raptors | Non-Covid illness |
| Dec. 18-present | Seven games and counting | Right foot injury |
Anthony Davis career stats, highlights
- 24.0 points per game
- 10.3 rebounds per game
- 2.4 assists per game
- 2.3 blocks per game
- 1.9 turnovers per game
- 34.4 minutes per game
- 51.8 percent shooting
- 30.3 percent 3-point shooting