Anthony Davis’ injury turned out to be worse than initially thought

Nine-time Los Angeles Lakers All-Star center/power forward Anthony Davis missed Los Angeles’ crushing 131-114 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night with a left heel injury. In the absence of Davis and starting forward Rui Hachimura, NBA teammate LeBron James was forced to take the field.

The 20-time All-Star forward scored a game-high 39 points on 15-of-24 shooting from the floor (6-of-11 from 3-point range) and 3-of-4 shooting from the foul line. seven rebounds, six dimes and one steal in the loss. Guards Austin Reeves (19 points) and D’Angelo Russell (12 points in just 21:33) and newly promoted sixth man small forward Cam Reddish (15 points) were the only other double-digit scorers for Los Angeles. .

Backup center Jackson Hayes started for Davis, scoring eight points on 3-of-6 shooting from the floor and 2-of-2 from the foul line while also grabbing 10 boards. Two-way center Christian Koloko made his first appearance in the NBA following his 2022-23 rookie season. The league recently cleared him to suit up after he was on the bench all of last year with blood clots. He played 13:20 and scored two points and two rebounds.

Now ESPN’s Shams Charania has revealed more about the exact nature of the ailment and how long the 6-foot-10 superstar has actually been battling it.

The Lakers hope Anthony Davis will play Friday on ESPN against the 76ers, Charania said. “For him it’s a nagging foot injury, a heel injury that he’s been struggling with since the end of last season. In the summer (he) played with her at the Olympic Games. And they are sure that there is nothing wrong structurally. , but (it’s) something he’ll have to deal with from a pain tolerance standpoint, and they’re hoping that 24 to 48 hours off that leg will help him go into tomorrow.”

Davis, 31, is currently the NBA’s leading scorer, so his absence will understandably be deeply felt. He’s also a 2024 All-Defensive team member, and his help around the basket has specifically anchored Los Angeles on that end of the floor. This year, the Kentucky product is averaging 32.6 points on 57.1 percent shooting from the field and 78.6 percent from the free throw line, with 11.6 points, 3.0 assists and 1.7 blocks per night.

“(Lakers head coach) JJ Redick said last night that they expect Anthony Davis to try on Friday, but that’s someone who even without him last night you’re going to struggle with,” Charania said. “You can see this Lakers team is really struggling without Anthony Davis. He dominated on both ends of the floor. So they’re hoping to get him back into the lineup this weekend.”

If Davis returns Friday night against Philadelphia, he’ll have to play against former Lakers teammate Andre Drummond in the paint. Philadelphia All-Star center Joel Embiid is currently serving a three-game suspension and won’t be able to take the field until next week.

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