Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis. Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Lakers need Anthony Davis to step up to weather LeBron James' injury

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 2/27/23

With LeBron James sidelined, the Lakers need Anthony Davis to recreate his early season magic when he looked like a potential league MVP.

Per Shams Charania, James is expected to miss multiple weeks with a foot injury in what is a major blow to the Lakers' playoff hopes.

James miraculously played through the injury that is now expected to require multiple opinions, sources said, and the Lakers are bracing for his absence to be multiple weeks. https://t.co/zuovQ2wVzc
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 28, 2023

Luckily for Los Angeles, the team has another former No. 1 overall pick on its roster in Davis.

Before a right foot injury forced him to miss 20 games between Dec. 18 and Jan. 24, Davis was playing arguably his best basketball since being traded to Los Angeles.

During a 14-game stretch from Nov. 13 to Dec. 16, Davis averaged 30.8 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks on 64.2 percent shooting from the field. The Lakers went 9-5 in those games.

Since returning on Jan. 25, he's played in 12 of a possible 13 games and hasn't been as efficient as he was pre-injury. He's averaging 22.3 points per game on 50 percent shooting but he has looked more comfortable over his last few games, most recently a 30-point, 15-rebound performance on Sunday against Dallas when he went 12-of-20 from the field. The Lakers won 111-108.

Los Angeles is 7-5 since his return, but the sledding will get a lot tougher with James unable to contribute. Per The Athletic, the Lakers are 5-9 without James this season and 36-62 without him since he joined the team in 2018.

If the reports are accurate and he will miss multiple weeks, James will be out for at least the team's next six games, two of which are crucial showdowns against Memphis (36-23, second in Western Conference).

Los Angeles (29-32, 12th in Western Conference) also travels to Oklahoma City (28-32, 13th in Western Conference) while it hosts Minnesota (31-32, ninth in Western Conference), Golden State (31-30, seventh in Western Conference) and Toronto.

If James returns immediately following the game against the Raptors, it would put his return at exactly two weeks since sustaining the injury, so there's reason to doubt he'll only miss those six games.

If the Lakers are still in playoff contention by the time James returns, Davis will be a huge reason why. He's proven this season how dominant he can be.

As is always the case, his durability is the concern. Los Angeles can't afford to lose another star, let alone have Davis not play like one.

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