Everyone feared the worst when Anthony Davis suffered a stress injury in his right foot about a month ago in a win over the Denver Nuggets.
Since then, the Los Angeles Lakers have played uneven basketball, almost instantly losing four games in a row, then winning six of seven before going on a three-game losing streak that they snapped with a 140-132 win over the Houston Rockets on Monday.
Davis’ injury has left a huge crater in the middle, especially considering he may have been the best player in the league for a few weeks prior to his injury.
But his rehab has been progressing well, and if it continues to go according to plan, he could return before the All-Star break with time to spare (h/t Lakers Daily).
The hope is that Anthony Davis is gonna be able to get back out on the floor with a handful of games left before the All-Star break – early February 🙏@ShamsCharania on potential return for Lakers star Anthony Davis#RunItBack | https://t.co/Q9hUtUoPZJ pic.twitter.com/DyHF2PFdjd
— FanDuel TV (@FanDuelTV) January 16, 2023
“Anthony Davis is expected to start running now,” Charania began. “So, once that happens and he’s back onto the floor running full speed, that point he’s going to progress to contact work in the relative near future. And so, I’m told that the hope is that Anthony Davis is going to be able to get back out on the floor with a handful of games left before the All-Star break.”
Despite their inconsistent play, the Lakers are still just 1.5 games out of the final spot for the play-in tournament and 2.5 games behind the sixth-place Los Angeles Clippers.
The Purple and Gold will begin a tough road trip on Jan. 28, and if Davis is somehow able to return around then, it would give the team a huge boost just in time.