Anthony Davis has been out since Feb. 16 with a foot injury, but it looks like his time on the sidelines is coming to an end.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Davis will return on Friday to face the New Orleans Pelicans, ending his six-week injury absence.
The return of Davis could be extremely helpful for the Lakers. They’re currently 31-44 and barely clinging to the final spot for the play-in tournament. LeBron James sustained what he called a “horrible” ankle injury last week and hasn’t played since. James could also reportedly return on Friday, but that’s far from certain. A healthy Davis could make a world of difference as the Lakers desperately try to hold on for just seven more regular season games.
On the other hand, the Lakers weren’t exactly setting the world on fire when Davis was healthy. Los Angeles was 17-20 in games with Davis. But without him, the Lakers have been worse, going 4-13 since Davis injured his foot.
If the Lakers can get both Davis and James back on the court, it’s possible they could stop the bleeding and get the team back on solid footing. And there couldn’t be a better time for the Lakers to start feeling capable and confident, since they need to go on one heck of a run to squeeze any positivity out of what’s been a disappointing slog of a season.