The Los Angeles Lakers lost both the battle and war during their 115-103 defeat to the Detroit Pistons on Monday night. In addition to falling to 4-3 on the season to put them closer to the pack following an incredible 3-0 start, Anthony Davis aggravated an old offseason injury in the fourth quarter, and he could be in danger now of missing a game or two.
According to Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Davis had his left foot examined after he planted that foot of his hard with 4:46 left in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' defeat following an entry pass from LeBron James. The Lakers' star big man, at the next dead ball, grabbed at the back of his left foot near the heel, prompting immediate medical attention from the training staff.
The promising news is that this did not require Davis to exit the game; in fact, he stayed until the end of the ballgame. Regardless, the fact that he's been dealing with an injury of this sort since the offseason could require closer medical examination that will then decide his playing status for the Lakers' next few games, beginning with their Wednesday night contest against the Memphis Grizzlies. But for now, Davis is a “true day-to-day”, per McMenamin.
“I'll talk to my trainer and just kind of figure out what exactly is going on. I've been managing it since this summer, honestly, and my goal for every game is to be on the floor. And I just kind of landed directly on the spot that's been killing me. So, we'll figure it out,” Davis said.
An absence from Davis will be tough to weather for the Lakers, especially when he's been playing at an MVP-level through the first seven games of the season. Even in the loss to the Pistons, Davis put up 37 points on 13-23 shooting from the field, and without him, the Lakers will have a huge hole on both ends of the court.
On the season, Davis is averaging 32.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and 1.7 blocks on 57 percent shooting from the field. He has a history of picking up a myriad of injuries that tends to keep him out for a few games at a time, and the Lakers may be better off playing the long game instead of forcing Davis to play through an injury.
Is it time for the Lakers to be active on the trade market?
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At first, it seemed like the Lakers' decision not to make a blockbuster move of any sort over the offseason would be proven correct after they looked like a much-improved team to begin the 2024-25 season. However, now that they're falling back down to earth, the Lakers may have to move with a greater sense of urgency in the trade market.
If Davis were to miss time due to his foot injury, the Lakers' defense might be toast. Jaxson Hayes is their only other healthy center on the roster, and Hayes hasn't exactly done much of anything to warrant a huge role. They also got bludgeoned by the Pistons on the glass on Monday night, which might signal that a Walker Kessler trade could be something the team needs to pull off.
