Lakers, already missing LeBron James, rule out Anthony Davis with another foot injury Wednesday
D'Angelo Russell is also out with a sprained right ankle
The Los Angeles Lakers were already without LeBron James, and then things got worse.
The Lakers have ruled out Anthony Davis with a right foot stress injury for Wednesday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, adding to the team's injury woes since a transformative trade deadline.
The site of the injury is particularly concerning given that the All-Star missed 20 games earlier this season with a fractured bone spur and stress reaction in the same foot. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham told reporters later Wednesday that sitting Davis is a precautionary move, but will need to go through testing before he's cleared to play again.
Darvin Ham said the Lakers “don’t want the circumstances of winning and losing games dictate how we manage our players’ health.” He said Anthony Davis sitting out tonight is “precautionary” and he will have some testing to clear before he plays again.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 1, 2023
Davis had been on a productive run recently, averaging 21.9 points, 15.4 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 2.0 assists in his last seven games.
The development comes two days after James was reported to be out indefinitely due to a foot injury. Starting point guard D'Angelo Russell, the team's biggest acquisition at the deadline, was also ruled out for a second straight game with a sprained right ankle.
It's unclear when James will return, but it's reportedly feared he will have to miss an extended amount of time, which isn't what you want to hear when the Lakers only have 20 games left in the season. Lakers head coach Darvin Ham also said Russell is doubtful for another game Thursday against the Thunder.
Having three All-Stars in James, Davis and Russell all sidelined makes for a dire situation for the 29-33 Lakers, who are running out of time to turn around a season in which little has gone according to plan. The team currently sits in 12th place in the Western Conference, but only one game behind the New Orleans Pelicans for the West's final play-in spot.
The games against the Thunder on Wednesday and Thursday are rather important though, as the Lakers are a half-game ahead of them in the standings.