Woj: Lakers Will Be 'Very Conservative' with Anthony Davis Because of Eye Injury

The Los Angeles Lakers will reportedly be "very conservative" with power forward Anthony Davis after he suffered an eye injury during Saturday's scrimmage against the Orlando Magic.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the update Wednesday on Get Up:

Davis was accidentally poked in the eye by Orlando Magic point guard Michael Carter-Williams during L.A.'s second exhibition game in the NBA bubble at the Disney World complex in Orlando, Florida.

Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said Tuesday it wasn't clear whether the seven-time All-Star selection would be available when the team resumes the 2019-20 regular season Thursday against the rival Los Angeles Clippers.

"He's day-to-day, and while he's still dealing with discomfort, there is some concern that he could potentially not play Thursday," Vogel told reporters. "But we're hopeful that he does, and we'll see how that plays out. He's going to continue to be evaluated each day."

Davis, who was acquired from the New Orleans Pelicans in a blockbuster offseason trade, averaged 26.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 2.4 blocks and 1.5 steals across 55 appearances in his first season with the Lakers before play was halted March 11 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The team holds a 5.5-game advantage over the Clippers for the top seed in the Western Conference heading into the shortened eight-game finish to the regular season in Orlando.

Wojnarowski noted teams are less concerned about seeding because there's a lack of home-court advantage inside the bubble. In addition, the depth of the West means every team will face a legitimate test in the opening round regardless of their seed.

So the Lakers can afford to play it slow with Davis' recovery to ensure he doesn't suffer any more serious complications before the playoffs.

If he misses Thursday's high-profile clash with the Clippers, his next chances to return would be Saturday against the Toronto Raptors or Monday when L.A. battles the Utah Jazz.

Kyle Kuzma is likely to fill the void in the starting lineup if Davis does miss time. Jared Dudley and Markieff Morris would also see more playing time within the Lakers' frontcourt rotation.