Lakers' Anthony Davis Cleared to Advance on-Court Work in Calf Injury Rehab

Los Angeles Lakers power forward Anthony Davis will take the next step in his rehab process and ramp up on-court activities, according to ESPN's Dave McMenamin. 

Davis has been out with an Achilles injury since Feb. 14, kicking off a spate of injuries across the Lakers roster with Marc Gasol, LeBron James, Alex Caruso and Jared Dudley all missing time in recent weeks. 

Los Angeles is just 7-10 since Davis' injury ahead of Friday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There's still no definitive timeline for Davis' return as Los Angeles work to make sure their star forward's long-term health isn't jeopardized by a rush back to the lineup.

That's put the title defense on shaky ground with L.A. having dropped four straight coming into Friday. The road ahead gets a bit easier as Marc Gasol is back from a conditioning stint after exiting COVID-19 protocol, but his minutes are still being monitored closely. 

In 23 games this season, Davis is averaging 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists while shooting 53.3 percent from the floor. 

The sooner the Lakers can get him back, the better their chances are of repeating as NBA champions. The team just won't prioritize a timeline over the way Davis' body reacts to treatment.