Account
Lakers News: Anthony Davis Won't Make Return from Knee Injury vs. Heat
January 23, 2022
Los Angeles Lakers star big man Anthony Davis will not make his return from his 16-game absence on Sunday against the Miami Heat.
Davis, who has been working his way back from a sprained MCL, was listed as questionable for the matchup. Los Angeles head coach Frank Vogel said that Davis has made progress, but he's not fully ready yet.
"Yeah, he’s going to be out tonight," Vogel told reporters. "That was more about, he’s getting closer. He felt good with his work yesterday. But not quite there yet."
Davis has been out since Dec. 17 after Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels collided with his knee. The injury was expected to keep him sidelined for four to six weeks.
"Whenever AD is ready, we're going to love that, that's for sure," Los Angeles star LeBron James said on Friday. "I mean he's one of our biggest guns that we have, and having him on the floor, it just creates so much for us offensively and defensively, able to do so much more."
Prior to his injury, Davis was one of the Lakers' most productive players on both ends of the floor. He averaged 23.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.2 steals in 27 games. While Davis has shot 52.1 percent from the field, he struggled with his outside shot and connected on just 17.9 percent of his three-point attempts.
The Lakers are 23-23 entering Sunday's contest and have gone 7-9 in Davis' absence. Los Angeles has had a hard time finding consistency this season because of injuries and trying to integrate new players.
The offseason addition of All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook hasn't worked out the way the team thought it would. Westbrook is averaging under 20 points for the first time since his second season in the NBA. He also averages 4.2 turnovers, which is tied for the third-highest mark in the league.