In a surprising turn of events, the Los Angeles Lakers will be without their superstar big man Anthony Davis for tonight’s highly anticipated matchup against the Brooklyn Nets. Just 30 minutes before tip-off, Lakers head coach JJ Redick announced that Davis is dealing with plantar fasciitis in his left foot and has been ruled out.
The 29-year-old forward has been the Lakers’ most reliable player this season, suiting up for all but two games so far. Davis is having an MVP-caliber campaign, averaging 25.8 points on 52.3% shooting, 11.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 blocks per game. His presence on both ends of the floor has been invaluable for a Lakers squad looking to bounce back from last year’s disappointing finish.
Next Man Up Mentality
With Davis sidelined, Coach Redick will turn to third-year center Jaxson Hayes to fill the void in the starting lineup. The 22-year-old has shown flashes of promise when given extended minutes, including a solid performance in the Lakers’ win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday.
That was his best game that he’s had since he returned from injury. It’s been a long time, obviously, since he felt that pop and that juice that he can provide the activity and all that stuff.
– JJ Redick on Jaxson Hayes
Hayes missed 21 games himself earlier this season with an ankle injury, but appears to be rounding into form at just the right time. He’ll need to bring that same energy and activity against a desperate Nets team that has lost six of its last seven, including an embarrassing 59-point defeat at the hands of the Clippers on Wednesday.
Weathering the Storm
The Lakers finally snapped a three-game skid with their win over the Heat, but now face the challenge of building momentum without their best player. LeBron James and the supporting cast will need to raise their level of play to compensate for Davis’ production on both ends.
- LeBron James must take on a larger scoring load
- Dennis Schröder and Lonnie Walker IV need to create offense
- Thomas Bryant should see an expanded role off the bench
Fortunately, the Lakers catch a slumping Nets squad at a good time, even without AD. Brooklyn is just 2-8 in its last 10 games and looks nothing like the title contender many expected heading into the season. With Kyrie Irving and Ben Simmons struggling to find consistency, the Nets are still searching for an identity under first-year head coach Jacque Vaughn.
The Road Ahead
The Lakers didn’t provide a timeline for Davis’ return, but plantar fasciitis is notoriously tricky to overcome during the grind of an 82-game season. LA’s medical staff will likely take a cautious approach to protect their franchise cornerstone for the long haul.
In the meantime, the onus falls on LeBron James and the rest of this veteran roster to weather the storm until AD is ready to return. The Lakers have already proven they can win without their star big man in short spurts, but doing so consistently will be a much taller task.
If the role players can step up and LeBron can summon some of his MVP magic from years past, the Lakers have enough talent and experience to stay afloat in a competitive Western Conference. The key will be avoiding a prolonged slide that buries them too deep in the standings.
For now, all eyes will be on crypto.com Arena to see how this shorthanded Lakers squad responds to adversity against Kevin Durant and the Nets. With or without Anthony Davis, the show must go on for one of the NBA’s most storied franchises.
