Kevin Durant knows the Los Angeles Lakers are in a delicate predicament. Star power forward Anthony Davis will be sidelined due to a left calf strain.

This past week, Davis missed the Lakers two home games against the Thunder due to the nagging injury. As Davis returned on Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies, he looked fully refreshed in his 35-point effort. But on Sunday, Davis re-aggravated his calf injury, forcing him to sit out the rest of the game against Denver.

The calf injury seems to be a lingering injury for Davis carrying in from last season. During the NBA Finals against Miami, many times Davis was seen limping and holding onto his lower leg, looking as if he would not be able to finish the game. The shortened offseason may also have a big effect on Davis and his body. Last season was his longest stretch of playing basketball. The 71 days of recovering didn't seem to be enough for Davis going into this season.

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Davis has gotten off to a slow start this season. But over the last few weeks, he started to find his rhythm on the offensive end and became more aggressive. As Davis is expected to time, the Lakers will certainly miss his presence on both ends of the floor. It will be up to head coach Frank Vogel to decide who he wants to step up in Davis’ absence. It will be a huge blow for the team by not having one of their stars, but the Lakers will explore who can be the second option behind LeBron James.

Davis’ situation is very similar to Kevin Durant’s calf strain during the 2019 NBA playoffs. As Durant missed a significant amount of time, many believed that he was forced back too soon. After one-quarter of Game five of the NBA Finals, Durant would suffer from an Achilles tear, forcing him to miss the rest of the series and become sidelined for the entire 2019-20 season.

The Lakers and their medical staff should take their time with Davis. The team is in a very comfortable position as a top seed in the Western Conference. Although LeBron James is in his 18th season, he will continue to lead the way for the Lakers by allowing the rest of the team to step up. If the Lakers look to repeat as champions, the best decision is to sideline Anthony Davis until he is fully healthy to return to the lineup this season.