Looking at the ripple effect of Davis’s injury on the team and the conference
The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a big blow on Feb. 14, losing their star, Anthony Davis, to Achilles tendinosis. An Achilles injury is one of the scariest injuries in the sport of basketball because if torn, it can keep a player out for a year or more. Some players who have suffered this injury never return to their normal production on the court.
Davis will be out for four weeks, said head coach Frank Vogel. The Lakers would like to play it “conservative and make sure he is fully healed,” Vogel said. The Lakers were 21-7 before Davis was injured and were sitting in second place behind the Utah Jazz. They have lost two of three and now are 22-9.
This injury will have significant effects on the team but also the rest of the Western Conference. In Davis’ absence, some of the teams under the Lakers have a chance to catch them in the standings.
The Lakers will miss Davis on both ends of the floor. He is averaging 22.5 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 1.3 SPG, and 1.8 BPG. He was the runner-up for the Defensive Player of the Year award last season. He is the anchor of the team’s defense and the second option on offense. The team’s net rating drops from 9.1 to 4.4 without him. With no other true shot blockers, the Lakers’ defense will suffer in his absence.
Teams like the Los Angeles Clippers and the Phoenix Suns have a chance to move up in the Western Conference in Davis’s absence. The Clippers are half a game back, and the Suns are two games back. The Lakers play the Suns on Mar. 2 and have three other games against teams currently in playoff position in the next 10 days. This tough schedule leaves the door open for a lot of reshuffling in the next few weeks.
The National Basketball Association is holding its All-Star game on Mar. 7, and it’s unlikely that Davis will play in the game. The immediate road ahead looks tough for the Lakers, and it will be interesting to see how things will play out.