JJ Redick is facing a test early into his tenure as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach. After a fiery start to the 2024-25 NBA campaign, the Purple & Gold squad has found itself in a cold spell, with three losses in their last four outings. In their most recent outing, the Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons on the road Monday night.
Compounding the forgettable evening for Los Angeles was the sight of star big man Anthony Davis in pain late in the contest, as he apparently aggravated a left foot issue in the fourth quarter.
Following the game, ageless superstar LeBron James was asked in the locker room for his thoughts on the Lakers' outlook amid the potential of Davis missing games due to the injury.
I don't know,” James said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “I'm going second by second.”
Davis was then heard in the background saying “He's not out.”
The Lakers need Anthony Davis healthy
That sounds like music to the ears of the Lakers and their fans. Davis' interjection could be interpreted as a positive sign of his availability for Los Angeles from now on, which is huge, given that he's been the best player on the team.
On the season, the former Kentucky Wildcats star is averaging 32.6 points on 57.1 percent shooting from the field, 11.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.7 blocks through seven games. In the loss to the Pistons, Davis dropped 37 points to go with nine boards, and four dimes while making 13 of his 23 attempts from the floor in 39 minutes of action.
“I'll talk to my trainer and just kind of figure out what exactly is going on,” Davis said about his status after the Pistons game. “I've been managing it since this summer, honestly, and my goal for every game is to be on the floor. And I just kind of landed directly on the spot that's been killing me. So, we'll figure it out.”
The Lakers don't have great options beyond Davis in their frontcourt, so Los Angeles needs to keep him as healthy as they can, while they try to find a way out of a slump. Jarred Vanderbilt, Christian Wood, and Christian Koloko are all out with injuries, leaving Jaxson Hayes as the only other true center behind Davis.
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