After two months away, Los Angeles Lakers star power forward Anthony Davis is poised to return. It’s expected to happen Thursday night vs. the Dallas Mavericks.
But when Davis suffered his calf strain on Feb. 14, he feared the worst. Since then, rehab has taken longer than expected — as the Lakers have had to try to keep their head above water without Davis and LeBron James (ankle).
“The guys have done a great job of making sure that we stay in the fight while LeBron and myself have been out,” Davis told reporters. “And now that I’m near return – I think (LeBron) probably has a couple weeks or so, I’m guessing – it’s going to be my job to try to help the team stay afloat until he comes back as well and stay fighting.”
Davis is expected to start, though coach Frank Vogel indicated Davis would play no more than 15 minutes as he gets his wind back.
“No matter what you do, you can’t emulate basketball shape,” Davis admitted.
On the bright side, Davis has stayed extremely engaged during his stint on the sideline in street clothes. Along with James, Davis has served as the Lakers’ biggest fan.
“I think that’s how I stayed engaged, and kind of got my fix of not being able to play,” Davis said. “Just being in the gym with the guys and the games, breaking down the games and different plays for the guys and helping them learn, and it kind of helped me become a better leader as well – like a vocal leader talking to the guys, and helping them out.”
The Lakers (35-23) currently sit in fifth place in the Western Conference.
