PHOENIX — In his heart, Anthony Davis wants to say he’s100 percent confident he’ll play again this season.
The best he could do as of Sunday night: “I’m very optimistic about it.”
From his Feb. 16 foot sprain against the Utah Jazz when he landed awkwardly after clipping the heel of Rudy Gobert, it’s been slower going for the 29-year-old Lakers big man than he would like. Doctors estimated that he would be a boot for two weeks, but it took three-and-a-half for the swelling to go down enough to squeeze his injured right foot into a shoe – “the size of a softball,” Davis said.
In the intervening weeks, he’s hammered cardio circuits to stay in shape. On Monday, he’ll be finally cleared for on-court spot shooting. But his recent spate of injuries the last two seasons has forced Davis to become more of a realist: “I’m trying to get back on the court as soon as possible. As far as a number or something, I would love to say 100% but with only a certain amount of games left, not 100% sure.”
Davis has had to live with that kind of uncertainty: Out of 139 possible games in the last two seasons, he’s been able to play in just 75. From his Achilles and groin injuries last season, to the freak knee collision with Jaden McDaniels in December to his awkward landing a month ago – injuries have become the running theme of his recent tenure.
No one is more painfully aware of this than Davis himself. But he adds that the last two injuries – both of which have been partly caused by contact with another player – could have been much more serious if not for the physical training he’s committed himself to.
“I look at it as two injuries I couldn’t really control, but (I) continue to do what I been doing to maintain the strength and the muscles and tendons and all that in my body to make sure they stay strong to be able to kind of withstand these injuries,” he said. “Broken foot, torn ACL, all these things that could have happened. And the doctors of both injuries told me that it could have been a lot worse.”
Davis initially thought his latest injury was one of those worst-case scenarios. When he landed, he heard his foot crunch. When he tried to move it, it didn’t respond. He couldn’t put the slightest weight on it. Not long after the injury, his foot ballooned and turned purple.
“At that point, I was just thinking, ‘Please let it not be broken, I can deal with an ankle sprain,’” Davis recalled. “And when the doctors did the evaluation, I saw it. Took the tape off, and literally, it was huge.”
Davis has never watched the replay of his tumble. Instead, he has tried to focus on his rehab while also helping the team from the sideline. It’s common to see Davis on the bench with an iPad, running over defensive mistakes – “I’m that defensive anchor for our guys,” he said, but he’s frustrated he can’t help correct the miscues live.
The Lakers continue to hold out hope that their Big Three with Davis, LeBron James and Russell Westbrook can give them some upside for the postseason, which now will likely require them to win two play-in games simply to get a first-round series against Phoenix. They’re 11-9 when all three play together.
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History is in part a motivator for Davis, who still believes the Lakers would have prevailed in their series with the Suns last season if he hadn’t strained his groin in Game 4 (“I just feel like they just got away with one,” he said). He wants to get a shot at redemption against the team that wound up knocking out the Lakers in six games on the way to the Finals.
While Davis is under contract through 2025, the longest of any Laker, he acknowledged that his mindset is for the Lakers to contend while James – who entered Sunday’s game as the league’s leader in scoring average – is still in his prime. Missing games during that window is another disappointment of not being on the court.
“We don’t know how long he has left in this league,” Davis said. “Last year we both were banged up, and then this year, it’s (injuries) again but moreso me. So every day it’s closing. That’s another frustrating part. A lot of guys don’t get to play with talent like that. I have the opportunity to do so, and a lot of us do. But for me personally, I want to take advantage of that time.”