The Los Angeles Lakers have been without Anthony Davis for just under a month and things have been going better than expected. The loss of Davis, who was playing at an MVP level, seemed detrimental to a Lakers team that lacked depth already. However, incredible play by LeBron James and a five-game winning streak has kept the Lakers afloat.
We are now entering the initial window that was estimated for AD’s return and so far, everything seems to be going as planned. The Lakers are reportedly ramping up Davis’ recovery hoping to soon get him back on the court.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin gave a more precise timeline to Lakers fans in a recent appearance on ‘The Lowe Post’ podcast. It is by no means a guarantee but Lakers fans should be incredibly excited, as AD could return at the conclusion of the current homestand.
Anthony Davis could return in as soon as 6 or 7 games, barring any setbacks. Most likely back for the road trip, again barring setbacks.
— Lakers Supply 🇺🇦🌻 (@LakersSupply) January 10, 2023
This Anthony Davis injury news could not come at a better time for the Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers are entering arguably the most important stretch of the entire season. The next 3-4 weeks will decide the rest of the season for the Lakers and determine whether or not they will be able to make any kind of run at the title.
The NBA trade deadline is on Thursday, February 9 and this team is going to have to show the front office enough to force Rob Pelinka and co. to make a trade that improves the roster. Because right now, it does not seem likely that the Lakers will make any kind of substantial move.
If the Lakers can play .500 basketball over the next 6-7 games then things could really take off once Davis returns. If Davis is playing at the level he was pre-injury, and LeBron continues playing at the level he is playing at, then Los Angeles is going to be a very hard basketball team to beat.
Suddenly, the Lakers may pick up some much-needed wins and force the front office into making a move. After all, the Western Conference is as wide-open as it has been in recent years. It isn’t like the Lakers are completely out of it. They are only 3.5 games back of being a top-four seed in the West.
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There were some initial concerns that AD’s injury could last longer than initially expected and be more serious. Thankfully, that does not seem to be the case as things could return back to normal here shortly.