LOS ANGELES — Lakers star Anthony Davis says he’ll make his return from a nine-week absence on Thursday towards the Dallas Mavericks, as long as his proper leg responds effectively to Wednesday’s apply.
Davis mentioned he now feels “100 %” wholesome from the calf pressure and tendinosis in his proper leg however detailed the scary moments after the harm occurred.
“I by no means tore an Achilles, however I type of felt like sharp ache, prefer it was ripping, which I had by no means felt earlier than,” Davis mentioned. “… So I knew it was one thing critical. It wasn’t as critical because it might have been, but it surely was nonetheless a fairly vital harm.”
Previous to present process an MRI, which confirmed the tendinosis he was already enjoying with and revealed a calf pressure, the 28-year-old Davis feared the prognosis and puzzled if the Lakers’ bid for a championship repeat must go on with out him.
“I did assume that I had in all probability partially torn it,” he mentioned, “which I used to be undoubtedly afraid.”
Lakers coach Frank Vogel mentioned Davis will begin towards the Mavericks and that his enjoying time will probably be restricted to the 15-minute vary for the primary two video games he performs. The restriction will probably be steadily launched from there, Vogel mentioned, in session with Davis and the workforce medical employees.
“When you’re out for this lengthy, it often takes a few weeks, to be sincere, to essentially really feel like you may have your legs beneath you and also you’re in rhythm and your rhythm and timing is again, in addition to working in new teammates,” Vogel mentioned. “So it will take a while.”
Davis mentioned that LeBron James, sidelined with a proper excessive ankle sprain for the final month, nonetheless “in all probability has a pair weeks or so” earlier than becoming a member of him within the lineup.
L.A. has gone 14-16 since Davis went out on Feb. 14, falling from No. 2 to No. 5 within the Western Conference standings. The Lakers are 2½ video games in again of the fourth-place Denver Nuggets with 14 video games left within the common season.
“It may be my job to attempt to assist the workforce keep afloat till he comes again as effectively and keep preventing,” mentioned Davis, who’s averaging 22.5 factors and eight.four rebounds in 23 video games. “However this workforce has accomplished greater than we will ask for.”
Vogel mentioned that enjoying by Davis for a time period with James nonetheless on the mend might assist L.A. keep away from in-game regression when the four-time MVP sits to relaxation.
“Even when Bron comes again, he would not play 48 minutes,” mentioned Vogel, who restricted James to a career-low 33.9 minutes per sport earlier than he obtained injured. “We have got to win the minutes when he is out. This has been an space that is been hit-or-miss for us the final two years, performing when Bron’s out. These prolonged minutes needs to be a silver lining in serving to us be higher in these stretches.”
Whereas the Lakers wait on James, Davis will get his first likelihood to play with L.A.’s different AD — Andre Drummond — for the primary time for the reason that huge man was picked up off the buyout market.
“I believe it is gonna be pretty fast for us to essentially adapt to one another as a result of we each are guys who wish to be taught from one another and who wish to win on the finish of the day,” Davis mentioned of the previous All-Star middle. “And once you’ve obtained two guys who wish to win, you discover methods to make it occur.”
For Davis, who mentioned he tried to emulate Lakers reserve Jared Dudley whereas he was sidelined by being extra vocal together with his teammates, the lengthy layoff reminds him of final season — when the Lakers adopted up a 4½-month hiatus due to the coronavirus by successful the championship.
“I believe there’s some similarities,” Davis mentioned. “I imply, I believe we have been enjoying good basketball earlier than the hiatus, after which it stopped and we needed to get again and discover that rhythm once more. Discover that togetherness and that camaraderie.
“It is type of the identical factor.”