Lakers' Anthony Davis Likely Out Until After All-Star Break with Achilles Injury

Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis will likely be out until after the All-Star break, which means that he would miss an additional eight games at minimum following the team's Tuesday matchup with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

"It's unlikely we bring him back before the break, but we'll see," Lakers head coach Frank Vogel said before the T-Wolves matchup.

Lakers reporter Mike Trudell relayed more of Vogel's remarks from the coach's press conference:

"Vogel said that Davis will be examined by the Lakers doctors when the team returns; they'll be cautious with the injury, and he'll be re-evaluated in a couple of weeks."

Davis suffered a right calf strain and a re-aggravation of the right Achilles tendonosis, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, who also reported that it's "extremely unlikely" AD comes back before the All-Star break ends March 10.

Davis was forced to leave his team's 122-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets last Sunday after just 14 minutes of court time. He has averaged 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game for the 21-7 Lakers this season.

Kyle Kuzma replaced Davis in the lineup for the Lakers' road matchup at Minnesota.

Davis has missed time this year because of a right calf strain (one game), a left adductor strain (one game), a right quad contusion (one game) and right Achilles tendonosis (two games).

The latter injury forced Davis to miss a pair of contests against the Oklahoma City Thunder on February 8 and 10.

He returned to the lineup on Feb. 12 and posted 35 points and nine rebounds in a comeback win over the Memphis Grizzlies, but two nights later, he suffered a right calf strain after he and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic accidentally bumped into each other.

Davis will now miss extended time, meaning that players such as Kuzma, Markieff Morris and Montrezl Harrell will have to step up down low in his absence.

Kuzma has started four of the six games Davis has missed this year, and Morris has started the other two. Kuzma entered Tuesday averaging 11.0 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. Morris is posting 4.4 points and 3.5 boards in 15.2 minutes on average.