More on Anthony Davis Injury
Shams Charania: Lakers star Anthony Davis is unlikely to play in Game 5 vs. Suns on Tuesday due to strained groin, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. There’s optimism about Davis‘ status as series continues and as he is evaluated day-to-day.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Noon @SportsCenter with @Sagesteele on pessimism surrounding Anthony Davis’ availability for Game 5 of Lakers-Suns series
Charles Barkley: "AD’s been out for a long time, now you’re trying to play hard basketball. He had a couple good games, but he ain’t had no time to get his rhythm and his conditioning together. Same thing with LeBron. I don’t think LeBron, at his age, can single-handedly whip the Phoenix Suns. If Anthony Davis does not play again, they’re gonna lose to the Phoenix Suns – but, even if they beat the Suns, they got zero chance of winning the championship. These guys are not in good enough shape. They missed too much of the regular season. And like I say, you don’t just pick up a basketball in the middle of the [playoffs] and beat the good teams."
Their spirits might have been dampened when the Lakers learned Davis was getting more testing on his groin after the game, but they had a strong belief in the group’s ability to get the job done if their second superstar can’t go. “There is plenty of confidence that we have now without AD. That’s not even a question for anybody in the locker room,” Lakers reserve center Marc Gasol said after he produced 12 points, eight rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots in 23 minutes. “So, obviously you lose it in the moment of the game that can kind of get your mind off track a little bit for some people. It shouldn’t, though. I don’t know if that was the case, to be honest. I don’t know if that was with AD or without AD, but we just got to keep playing and that’s as simple as that.”
If Davis doesn’t play Tuesday night, it means more responsibility for James. “So, it’s just gonna be more opportunity for Bron and obviously we need more guys to step up,” Lakers coach Frank Vogel said. “Not one other guy, but everybody. It’s gotta be a group effort. We need contributions from everyone, and we did have a stretch like this where we played without AD that we’ll draw on to take us into Game 5 if AD’s not available.”
Michael Scotto: LeBron James on if he can carry the Lakers if Anthony Davis is out for Game 5: “These shoulders were built for a reason. If it takes for me to put some more on top of it, then so be it. Win, lose or draw, I’m ready for the challenge.”
Shams Charania: Sources: Lakers‘ Anthony Davis will be day-to-day with his groin strain.
Adrian Wojnarowski: One source described Davis’ availability for Game 5 on Tuesday as “unclear.”
Mike Trudell: Frank Vogel said Davis has a strained groin, and is undergoing further medical evaluation. Update tomorrow. He wasn’t sure about AD’s availability for the second half right away, and tried to adjust on the fly. Obviously, LAL missed him considerably on both ends.
Mark Medina: Marc Gasol on Lakers playing without Anthony Davis: "Obviously you miss a guy like AD. You center the offense around him. But that's not enough. Next-man mentality."
Mark Medina: Anthony Davis does not plan to speak with reporters. Not immediately clear if he's scheduled for any tests, but he left Staples Center
Dave McMenamin: Anthony Davis did not start the 2nd half for the Lakers an dis not on the bench. Dealing with a sprained left knee, AD was limited to 6 points on 2-for-9 shooting in the first half.
Harrison Faigen: No surprises on the status report for the Lakers: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (left knee contusion) and Anthony Davis (left knee sprain) are questionable.
"There's no chance that I don't play tomorrow," Davis said after practice Saturday. "As a player, I've wanted to be in this moment. You want to be in the playoffs and help contribute to my team's success. I want to be out there. So in my eyes, for me as a competitor, I think I'll be out there [Sunday]." Davis landed awkwardly and hyperextended his left knee after executing a chase-down block on the Suns' Devin Booker in the first half of the Lakers' 109-95 Game 3 victory Thursday.
"Trying to get some rehab on it, some treatment," Davis said. "Get some (swelling) out of there and be ready to go tomorrow. Get the muscles firing again. So I did a lot of that stuff today and yesterday, and even after the game as well. So I've been doing everything I can to be on the floor tomorrow."
Ryan Ward: Anthony Davis on his knee sprain: "Just trying to get some rehab on it, some treatment. ... Doing everything I can to be on the floor tomorrow."
Kyle Goon: Frank Vogel says that Anthony Davis and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope will both be listed as questionable tomorrow. He says Davis has a left knee sprain.
Duane Rankin: #Lakers injury report tonight at #Suns for Game 2. LeBron James (right ankle sprain) and Anthony Davis (right shoulder sprain) PROBABLE.
Brad Turner: Lakers injury report: Anthony Davis (right shoulder sprain) and LeBron James (right ankle sprain) are probable.
Kellan Olson: The Lakers are listing Anthony Davis and LeBron James as questionable for tomorrow's game against the Pacers. Same with Alex Caruso and Dennis Schroder. Indiana will have no Brogdon, Turner, Lamb or Sumner. LeVert, Sabonis and Aaron Holiday are questionable.
Dave McMenamin: Anthony Davis will also not play tonight against the Rockets after experiencing tightness in his groin last night, sources tell ESPN
Mike Trudell: Anthony Davis said his plan is to play tomorrow night at Portland. He said his back feels better now after getting treatment on it during the game.
Kyle Goon: Anthony Davis says the right ankle he tweaked is "fine, it wasn't bothering me." He says of the back spasms that held him out, he says he's feeling better and thinks he should be good to go tomorrow.
Aaron Rose: Anthony Davis is still probable for tonight's game. LeBron James remains questionable. No Raptors injury report until 5:30
Harrison Faigen: Anthony Davis is officially questionable to play against the Mavericks tomorrow. Full Lakers injury report: pic.twitter.com/1zIGNVWCn9
Melissa Rohlin: AD, if you feel good tomorrow are you going to play? AD: "Yes."
Dave McMenamin: Anthony Davis says he will make his return tomorrow in Dallas, so long as he continues to feel well.
Marc Stein: The Lakers continue to list Anthony Davis as out for Monday’s home date with Utah. So Davis’ return to the lineup likely comes Thursday or Saturday in Dallas against a Mavs team that has lost four straight at home ... including tonight after the Kings had lost nine in a row. pic.twitter.com/76TPnvFZ7w
Dave McMenamin: The Lakers have officially ruled out Anthony Davis on Monday vs. UTA, which means his return will likely come on the road with the Lakers having an upcoming four-game trip starting Thursday in Dallas.
Mike Trudell: Frank Vogel said it’s “unlikely” that Anthony Davis plays in Monday’s game against Utah, but they’ll “see where he’s at” presumably after he gets some more work in tomorrow at the practice facility.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Anthony Davis will be re-evaluated by team doctors in L.A. this week and could return to play in the next 10 to 14 days and LeBron James could be right behind him, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Davis, out since Feb. 14 with a calf strain and tendinosis in his right leg, will be examined on Thursday after the Lakers return from their current five-game, East Coast road trip, sources said.
Dave McMenamin: Anthony Davis will be re-evaluated by team doctors on Thursday when the Lakers return to L.A. and could return to play in the next 7-10 days, reports @Adrian Wojnarowski on @NBACountdown
Anthony Davis has missed the past 22 games because of persistent Achilles’ tendon discomfort and an adjacent calf strain. There is some hope within the organization that he will return to the lineup after the Lakers’ five-game Eastern Conference swing underway, but any injury that involves the Achilles’ tendon, no matter how purportedly mild, is going to spook people until Davis gets back on the floor. Achilles’ tendon injuries remain the most feared in the sport.
Harrison Faigen: KCP tells @Kyle Goon that AD shot around today and did not participate in practice, but that he looks good. "He's making great progress. We were just joking with him that he should play five minutes tomorrow... He says he's feeling good."
Ryan Ward: Frank Vogel says LeBron James and Anthony Davis will be with the team on their road trip. Also said AD is still "a ways away" from returning and LeBron remains "out indefinitely," so no new updates there.
Dave McMenamin: The latest on what the Lakers are saying about AD: “Anthony Davis was re-examined by team medical staff earlier this evening. He continues to progress in his recovery and has been cleared to advance his on court work. Additional updates will be given when appropriate.”
Team doctors cleared Anthony Davis to begin advancing his on-court work after an evaluation on Friday, nearly six weeks after Davis last played in a game because of a calf strain and tendinosis in his right leg, the Los Angeles Lakers announced. This advancement will include "increased volume and intensity in shooting, dribbling and position specific drills," according to a Lakers spokesperson.
However, sources informed Yahoo Sports that Davis could be sidelined for the next three weeks and possibly beyond. The Lakers will be overly cautious in their approach to working Davis back even at the cost of slipping in the standings, which has occurred.
Anthony Davis will be sidelined at least two more weeks because of tendinosis and a calf strain in his right leg, the Los Angeles Lakers said Friday. Davis was examined by team doctors Friday before the Lakers' first game out of the All-Star break against the Indiana Pacers and was cleared to ramp up activity in pursuit of a return, the team said.
Jovan Buha: Frank Vogel says Anthony Davis won’t play tomorrow vs. Indiana and will be reevaluated tomorrow night by the team’s doctors. The Lakers will have an update on Davis’ status tomorrow night.
Los Angeles Lakers star forward Anthony Davis was re-evaluated by team doctors Thursday night and will be out four weeks, head coach Frank Vogel said. Sources had told ESPN earlier this week that Davis would be re-evaluated in two to three weeks after suffering a calf strain Sunday and would be unlikely to return to the lineup before the NBA's March 5-10 All-Star break
We’ll know more about the severity of Davis’ calf/Achilles injuries in the coming days – he’s set for re-evaluation now that the team is back in Los Angeles – but the general sense from sources is that Davis should be fine with rest that will almost certainly extend through the All-Star break.
“Rich Paul called me this morning, Stephen A., and he told me to make it very, very clear that no one and nobody is going to rush Anthony Davis back, and his health is first,” Perkins said on the Feb. 16 episode of Stephen A. Smith’s show Stephen A’s World. “He even said that if it’s leading up to the first or second week going into the postseason of [AD’s return], then so be it. That’s how long Anthony Davis could be out.”
Ryan Ward: LeBron says "I've been there before" in terms of a star teammate going down referring to AD's injury. Mentioned Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.
Mike Trudell: Frank Vogel on Anthony Davis: "It’s unlikely we bring him back before the break, but we’ll see." 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.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Even prior to MRI today, conversation among GM Rob Pelinka, Anthony Davis and agent Rich Paul of @KlutchSports has been to take their time on AD's return to lineup, sources tell ESPN. They'll take another look in two-to-three weeks, yes, but "conservative" is the operative word.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Anthony Davis will be re-evaluated in two to three weeks after suffering a calf strain, source tells ESPN.
As for Davis’ timetable to return after his re-aggravation, Brar thinks the Lakers will factor in how easily Davis tweaked the injury in-game and be more careful. “That can indicate that even though he’s having these positive checks, he is more irritable, more sensitive than you might have thought, which, then, of course, gives you a little bit of pause and you have a more cautious approach this time,” Brar said. “And so I think it’s gonna be multiple weeks.” Multiple weeks would keep Davis out through at least the All-Star break, which ends March 10. The Lakers have nine games between now and when their first half of the season ends on March 3. As long as the MRI doesn’t reveal more serious damage, Brar estimates that a post-All-Star break return would be an adequate recovery for Davis’ potential tenosynovitis.
Based on Davis’ comments from last week about his injury not being to his Achilles tendon but rather the surrounding area, and his relatively quick return, Brar speculates that Davis could have tenosynovitis, which is inflammation of the sheath surrounding the tendon. “That’s a lot easier to handle because it’s just trying to manage the inflammation and irritation in that area,” Brar told The Athletic. “Whereas if there’s actual tendonosis, and breakdown of the tendon, then it can be a little bit more sensitive, and you’re worried about the actual structure of the tendon.”
The MRI results will dictate the next steps of Davis’ rehab. The term “strain” is more of a catch-all phrase than a diagnosis, Brar says. “There’s no way for them to actually know that until they do imaging,” Brar said. “Yes, they would know if it’s a complete rupture. There’s a test called the Thompson test. But strain, again, sounds very much just like a general term they’re using.” Davis said he plans on being “smarter” with his recovery, including potentially upping his treatment from three times a day to five times a day.
Adrian Wojnarowski: Lakers All-Star Anthony Davis re-aggravated his right Achilles tendonosis and there's some swelling, source tells ESPN. He will get an MRI on Monday.
Kyle Goon: “If it was a quad or ankle, anything like that, I wouldn’t mind playing. But I just, don’t really want to play around with an Achilles.” Anthony Davis on his injury that has not been deemed serious, but is nonetheless making the Lakers cautious:
Jovan Buha: Anthony Davis said he felt soreness in right calf area starting about two weeks ago. He’s feeling better today: “I feel good. I feel good right now. We’ll see how it feels tomorrow and make a decision from there.”
Ryan Ward: Frank Vogel won't say whether Anthony Davis will play tomorrow against the Grizzlies. AD went through some "no-contact work" today at practice. Vogel wants to see how he feels before tmw's game to determine his status.
Marc Stein: The Lakers have made it official and rule out Anthony Davis (right Achilles tendinosis) from tonight's game against Oklahoma City
Lakers All-Star big man Anthony Davis is listed as questionable for Monday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with tendonosis of his right Achilles tendon, the team announced. A league source told ESPN it is "very likely" Davis will miss the Thunder game as a precaution and that Davis, 27, has been managing the discomfort "for a while."
Davis underwent medical imaging on the injury, the source said, which assured the Achilles tendon is in good shape. However, the nine-year veteran has been experiencing tightness in his right leg, causing concern. Davis' points (26.1 to 22.3), rebounds (9.3 to 8.6) and blocks (2.3 to 1.9) are all down from last season, his first in L.A., which he capped with a championship. He has missed three games this season, most recently because of a bruised right quad.
Harrison Faigen: The Lakers have upgraded LeBron and AD to probable for tomorrow. They've been questionable the last several games. pic.twitter.com/MP7kXJ6dtk
