The Lakers are going to be without Anthony Davis for a while.
While he managed to stay healthy through the first 28 games of the season for the Lakers, Davis suffered an injury over the weekend that will keep him sidelined indefinitely.
The injury comes at an unfortunate time for Davis and the Lakers. Not only does Los Angeles find itself on the outside looking in on the Western Conference Play-In race, but Davis was playing some of the best basketball of his career.
Can the Lakers survive without Davis? Who will have to step up in his absence? Let's take a closer look.
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Why is Anthony Davis out for the Lakers?
Davis injured his right foot in L.A.'s win over Denver on Friday, Dec. 16.
He appeared to suffer the injury when he made contact with Nikola Jokic on a layup attempt with 6:59 remaining in the first quarter. Davis stayed in the game and even played in the second quarter, but he did not return after halftime.
Here's the possession Davis appeared to get injured on:
The Lakers have since listed Davis as out on the injury report with right foot soreness. The Athletic's Shams Charania reported that he's expected to miss "at least" one month.
How well is Anthony Davis playing this season?
Davis has been playing at an MVP level this season.
His averages through 25 games are 27.4 points, 12.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.1 blocks and 1.3 steals. While he continues to struggle with his jumper, the full-time move to center and a more heightened focus on getting to the basket have helped him shoot a career-best 59.3 percent from the field.
NOH: How the Lakers unlocked the best version of Anthony Davis
Davis has already had a couple of historic stretches. In November, he became the first Laker since Shaquille O'Neal to record 35 points and 15 rebounds in back-to-back games. He then became the first Laker since Kobe Bryant to record 40 points in back-to-back games a couple of weeks later.
One of those 40-point games came against Milwaukee, perhaps L.A.'s best win of the season to date.
Fact: AD gets buckets.
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) December 4, 2022
Roll it 🎥 pic.twitter.com/LZ0hM4rBvG
According to NBA.com, the Lakers are outscoring their opponent by 2.7 points per 100 possessions with Davis on the court. With him on the bench, they're getting outscored by 6.6 points per 100 possessions. That's not as drastic of a differential as what, say, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry or Jayson Tatum are posting, but it's still the difference between the Lakers ranking eighth and 28th in net rating.
Damian Jones and Thomas Bryant have started in place of Davis in the games he's missed this season.
How Anthony Davis' injury impacts LeBron James
LeBron James is probably going to feel AD's injury more than anyone else on the Lakers.
James is still playing at a high level — he's on a historic stretch of his own with four straight 30-point games and counting — but it's a big ask for someone in their 20th season who already ranks third all-time in minutes played to shoulder an even heavier burden than he already is.
Plus, James has his own injury concerns. He managed to shrug off injuries for most of his career, but he was limited to 45 games in 2020-21 and 56 games in 2021-22. He doesn't feel quite as Superhuman anymore.
It goes without saying, but a Lakers team built around two stars can't afford for James' body to also break down. The minutes without him and Davis this season haven't been pretty.
| Players on | Players off | Offensive rating | Defensive rating | Net rating |
| LeBron James, Anthony Davis | — | 113.1 | 110.9 | +2.2 |
| Anthony Davis | LeBron James | 115.9 | 115.5 | +0.4 |
| LeBron James | Anthony Davis | 115.4 | 118.1 | -2.7 |
| — | LeBron James, Anthony Davis | 102.1 | 113.0 | -10.9 |
The Lakers do have Russell Westbrook, who is better equipped to take on more responsibility than anyone else on the roster, but surviving this period without Davis still starts with James.
Lakers upcoming schedule
The Lakers won't be spending much time in Los Angeles over the next couple of weeks, with eight of their next 11 games coming on the road. That includes a five-game trip that begins on Christmas Day when they face Luka Doncic and the Mavericks.
The Lakers have a winning record at home (8-7) but are 5-10 on the road so far this season.
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) | TV channel |
| Dec. 21 | at Kings | 10:00 p.m. | — |
| Dec. 23 | vs. Hornets | 10:30 p.m. | — |
| Dec. 25 | at Mavericks | 2:30 p.m. | ABC/ESPN |
| Dec. 27 | at Magic | 7:00 p.m. | — |
| Dec. 28 | at Heat | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Dec. 30 | at Hawks | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Jan. 2 | at Hornets | 7:00 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 4 | vs. Heat | 10:00 p.m. | ESPN |
| Jan. 6 | vs. Hawks | 10:30 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 7 | at Kings | 10:00 p.m. | — |
| Jan. 9 | at Nuggets | 9:00 p.m. | — |
The Lakers are fortunate that everything is still so bunched up in the Western Conference — only 6.5 games currently separate them from the Grizzlies in the No. 1 spot — but the next few weeks without Davis could very well shape the second half of the season, including how they approach an all-important trade deadline.
