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The LA Lakers are optimistic about star big Anthony Davis making his return from injury by the end of January. Davis sustained an MCL sprain on December 17th against the Minnesota Timberwolves, following a collision with Jared Vanderbilt. The initial timeline for the reevaluation of his injury was set for four weeks.
AD has been able to do on-court work as early as three weeks since sustaining the injury, meaning he could return midway through the Lakers' six-game road trip, which begins on January 21st. Here's what ESPN's Dave McMenamin recently reported regarding the timeline for his return:
"Anthony Davis participated in an individual on-court workout on Friday, four weeks to the day since spraining the MCL in his left knee. There is optimism within the Los Angeles Lakers organization that the star big man could return to game action sometime during L.A.'s long road trip at the end of the month, sources told ESPN."
Davis' return will bolster the LA Lakers' hopes of finishing the season well. They have a 5-7 win/loss record since he was sidelined. The Lakers are sitting at .500 right now with a record of 21-21.
Analyzing how Anthony Davis' return could help LA Lakers turn things around
Anthony Davis is considered the key to the LA Lakers' chances of succeeding this season. Davis also had to change his position and move up to the five, to make the Lakers' current lineup, comprising of Russell Westbrook and LeBron James, work. Davis is one of the few bigs in the league who can shoot well away from the rim when he is firing on all cylinders.
He struggled with his 3-point shooting thus far, but his solid mid-range game and ability to create his shot allowed the likes of James and Westbrook to play more freely and attack the rim. AD's return will also give the team a more consistent second-scoring option, with Westbrook in a slump right now.
On top of that, the Lakers have had to play a lot of small-ball lineups with LeBron as the center. That has worked well on offense, but the same cannot be said for the LA's defense. Coach Frank Vogel couldn't rely much on backup bigs Dwight Howard and De'Andre Jordan, either, due to their inconsistent showings.
As a result, the LA Lakers have had a tough time on the boards. Most of their opponents manage to score easily on second-chance opportunities and inside the paint. This has been largely due to the Lakers' lack of rim protection and an efficient rebounder in the post.
Davis is easily the Lakers' best defender, he leads the team in rebounds (9.9) and blocks per game (2). Davis was under consideration for Defensive Player of the Year honors before he went down late last year.
The Lakers will finally have some decent size in the frontcourt once Anthony Davis returns. Trevor Ariza wasn't available when AD was active, but with Ariza back now, LeBron James could shift into the small forward position giving LA much-needed options on defensive switches.
