Anthony Davis, who got back to peak form this season, suffered a setback when he exited the team's win over the Nuggets on Dec. 16 with a foot injury. According to recent reports, the eight-time All-Star's return is imminent.
The Lakers have had their fair share of struggles without their star big man, which makes sense given the team's reliance on his play. 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.
Stellar play from LeBron James has kept LA competitive, but it's still on the outside looking in at the West's playoff picture.
Here's what we know about Davis' injury and when to expect him back on the floor.
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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?
On Dec. 18, The Athletic's Shams Charania reported 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."
The Lakers provided an update nearly a week later, revealing that Davis has a stress injury in his right foot and would be out indefinitely. On Dec. 30, ESPN's McMenamin provided a positive update that Davis' injury was trending in the right direction.
On Jan. 20, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski provided a positive update, sharing that Davis continues to make progress and could be on the verge of a return to the lineup. On Jan. 23, ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported that barring any setbacks, Davis would return to the lineup for the Lakers against the Spurs on Jan. 25.
L.A. Lakers star big man Anthony Davis will return to the lineup Wednesday vs. SAS, barring any setback during his pregame warmup, league sources told ESPN. He will be back in the lineup 5 1/2 weeks after suffering a fractured bone spur and stress reaction in his right foot
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 25, 2023
Here is the Lakers' schedule up until the All-Star break.
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| Jan. 25 | vs. Spurs | 10:30 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 28 | at Celtics | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Jan. 30 | at Nets | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Jan. 31 | at Knicks | 7:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Feb. 2 | at Pacers | 7 p.m. | — |
| Feb. 4 | at Pelicans | 8 p.m. | — |
| Feb. 7 | vs. Thunder | 10:30 p.m. | — |
| Feb. 9 | vs. Bucks | 10 p.m. | TNT |
| Feb. 11 | at Warriors | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Feb. 13 | at Trail Blazers | 10 p.m. | — |
| Feb. 15 | vs. Pelicans | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| Feb. 19 | NBA All-Star Game | 8 p.m. | TNT |
Anthony Davis games missed 2022-23
| Date | Reason |
| Oct. 28 | Lower back tightness |
| Nov. 26 | Bruised left calf |
| Dec. 7 | Non-Covid illness |
| Dec. 18-present | 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
