Anthony Davis Set To Return Wednesday Against Spurs
Anthony Davis is set to make his return to the Los Angeles Lakers lineup for Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. The star big man has been sidelined for over a month with a stress reaction to his right foot. He was expected to play about 20 minutes, but he’ll likely be on a minutes restriction.
Before his injury, Davis was playing some of his best basketball of his career. In 25 games this season, he averaged 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game. His averages have dipped slightly in the past two weeks, but he is still posting double-digit scoring and rebound numbers.
While he hasn’t been completely healthy for the past month, the Lakers have done pretty well without him. They are currently 10-10, which puts them in the midst of a playoff run in the Western Conference. They are still 1.5 games out of the final play-in spot, but they have a strong enough frontcourt to hold up under the pressure.
Earlier this week, the Lakers made a trade to bolster their frontcourt. In exchange for a package of assets, the Lakers got forward Rui Hachimura. Several days later, Ham said Hachimura would make his debut against the Spurs. Aside from being a nice addition to the lineup, Hachimura is also acclimating to his new surroundings.
After a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday, the Lakers are looking to win at least two of their next three games. They’ll take on the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks before playing the Spurs in their first home game of the year.
In spite of Davis’ absence, the Lakers are still in the mix in the Western Conference, though. They’ve gone 10-10 in his absence, but they’re still only 1.5 games out of the final play-in position. That’s enough to keep them in the hunt, but they may need some help from the rest of their roster to catch the fifth-seeded Los Angeles Clippers.
If the Lakers can get Davis and LeBron James healthy for the remainder of the season, they’ll have a chance to make a deep run in the postseason. The two star players haven’t had their most productive seasons yet, but they’re still playing some of the best basketball of their careers.
Davis’ absence has also left the Lakers without a legitimate three-point shooting threat in Lonnie Walker IV, and they’re likely to need more than the one-time All-Star’s talents to overcome their current level of competition. Luckily, the Lakers have plenty of depth to fill in at center and power forward, with the likes of Julius Randle and Michael Beasley in line to play significant roles moving forward.
Though the Lakers aren’t in a playoff position, they’ll need a couple of wins in their final three games to squeak into the postseason. If the Lakers could find a way to boost their production from the frontcourt in the coming weeks, they’ll be in a great position to take advantage of the Spurs’ tired legs.
