Los Angeles Lakers center Anthony Davis will miss at least a month with a right foot injury, according to multiple reports. AD exited the Lakers' win on Friday vs. the Denver Nuggets at halftime. He underwent MRIs over the weekend and continues to be evaluated. (The Lakers have not yet made an official announcement sharing details on the injury.)

It's a depressing blow for a team on the cusp of play-in contention and trying to hone chemistry and discover an identity. It's especially disappointing for AD, who is playing MVP-caliber basketball and passionately strives to dispel the “injury-prone” label. This is Davis' first significant ailment of 2022-23, but he's dealt with multiple-week leg injuries in each of the past three seasons.

Here are five immediate questions in reaction to the tough news.

5. Is overuse to blame?

It's impossible to know these things, and therefore unfair to genuinely speculate. Yet, the reality is that folks will wonder asked about Darvin Ham's usage of Davis in the Lakers' overtime loss to the Boston Celtics last Tuesday — in part because Ham admitted he could have handled the situation better.

AD was on the floor for the final five minutes of the second quarter, the entire second half, and overtime. The Lakers ran out of gas in OT (after Davis missed potential game-icing free throws in regulation).

“I could have done a better job in certain instances in using my timeouts quicker,” Ham said about his team's fatigue. “But that falls on me. Got to get better in that regard.”

Both Davis' minutes (33.4 MPG) and usage rate (27.8) are among the lowest marks of his career, and he had two days off in between the Celtics and Nuggets games. Regardless, the fact that his foot gave out early into the game following his most taxing effort of the season may raise questions.

4. Can the Lakers stay in the race?

AD's injury couldn't come at a worse time. The Lakers (12-16) are two games out of the play-in race and facing a daunting schedule, considering opponent, travel, and a few home-road back-to-backs.

3. Who will step up?

The Lakers' victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday was bittersweet. Davis' injury clouded over the game. On the other hand, nearly everybody on the Lakers' supporting cast contributed to the uplifting win — none more so than backup center Thomas Bryant.

Bryant had his best game since returning to the Lakers, and perhaps his best game since returning from an ACL injury last January: 21 points, 9-11 FG, infectious energy — and he did it while going toe-to-toe with Nikola Jokic. Rightfully, he earned Game Ball honors.

The Lakers will need Bryant and the rest of the ensemble to do the same going forward. This team was built on the idea of LeBron James and AD being available and top-10 players. It was not constructed to weather the storm without its star in the middle.

Wenyen Gabriel is close to returning but still out with a shoulder injury. Damian Jones has barely cracked the rotation. One or both of those guys stepping up would make a huge difference.

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2. Can LeBron James carry the load?

Among the many issues with the 2021-22 Lakers was, due to the roster flaws and AD's health issues, an overreliance on LeBron. The Lakers won three games in March, two of which required LeBron to post 50-burgers. The 37-year-old averaged over 37 minutes and 30 points per game for a 33-win team. He then had to spend the first six weeks of the offseason rehabbing ankle and knee issues. Not ideal.

The most exciting development of this Lakers season was Davis grabbing the keys to the car, which LeBron has long wanted (see: LeBron orchestrating the Russell Westbrook trade.)

After all that, on the precipice of his 38th birthday, LeBron will be asked, once again, to keep the Lakers afloat. Can he do it — and do it without physically breaking down?

1. How will Rob Pelinka react?

As long as AD was thriving at full-time center, the Lakers acquiring a 5 (Myles Turner, Nikola Vucevic, Jakob Poeltl) seemed counterproductive. With Los Angeles on the precipice of playoff contention and showing encouraging signs as of late, Pelinka reportedly began leaning toward a smaller transaction; instead of Russell Westbrook and picks for a star (though that's always possible), maybe a trade featuring a combo of Kendrick Nunn/Patrick Beverley/picks for role pieces would be more prudent. According to The Athletic, the Lakers felt, as of a few days ago, that they could wait a few more weeks to make a deal.

One wonders if the calculus immediately changes in the wake of Davis' injury. Suddenly, they need a center. Suddenly, they're desperate for a talent infusion (that desperation, of course, decreases their leverage). Suddenly, the Lakers' front office faces a host of unexpected questions.