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  • It's our breaking news tonight here on SportsCenter and M R I today revealed a calf strain and an aggravation near Davis is right Achilles, according to Adrian Ward Yanovsky.

  • As a result, Davis is expected to miss the next 2 to 3 weeks before being reevaluated.

  • Davis missed three games or make that two games last week when the Achilles issue and had to leave last night's loss to the Nuggets.

  • Senior MBA insider Adrian Jordanovski has much more on this breaking news.

  • Whoa, what's the level of concern over this injury with Anthony Davis Right now?

  • Uh, Kevin, it's significant because of you know, that area of the body, the Achilles and the stature of Anthony Davis.

  • And, uh, you know, I'm told that you know the conversations even before the M R I today among Anthony Davis and Rob Pelinka, Lakers Medical, and, uh, Anthony Davis's agent, Rich Paul, was that they're going to be conservative now on his return to play.

  • I'm told 2 to 3 weeks, um, before they re evaluate it, and then we're up against the mid season break that march 5th to 10th All Star break, and I'm told to not expect Anthony Davis back prior to that.

  • It probably be unlikely to participate then in the All Star Game, but they don't want this toe linger.

  • They want to get this behind him and listen.

  • He reaggravated it last night in the game against Denver, and and Anthony Davis, you know, had said he had felt good that day.

  • He had felt pain free, but clearly now they're going to take their time with this injury on understand that whatever they might lose in the standings about Anthony Davis, the end game is having him healthy, long term and certainly healthy for the postseason.

  • Okay, we will see if this also changes potential plans Now, with the All Star break their extending into the N betrayed deadline, would you have much more on a couple of big men later on in this show?

  • Woes right now, with the very latest on Davis, and this gives you an idea.

  • I mean, the impact of Davis is a big one for the defending champs.

  • The Lakers have outscored their opponents by nearly 15 points per 100 possessions.

  • When a D and LeBron share the court.

  • That would be the best net efficiency in the league by far.

  • There's a significant drop off when LeBron is on the court without Davis for much more.

  • On the impact of this injury to a D back to P t I with Tony and Mike.

  • All right.

  • WILBON What does Anthony Davis's injury mean for the Lakers?

  • Trouble?

  • Tony.

  • I mean, bigger trouble.

  • The longer it goes on, the longer he's off the floor.

  • If they can get him back in time for a few games and into the playoffs, maybe not so much trouble, they'll still be favored.

  • You still got the M, V, P and LeBron.

  • But Tony, you can't do it without your second best player without Anthony Davis, even when you have pieces like Shrewder, who's found a home in a marvelous way mantra is Harold, who came over as a free agent.

  • Horton Tucker, a new kid in the lineup.

  • Caruso Kentavious, Caldwell, Pope.

  • The pieces fit wonderfully, but Anthony Davis is the second piece, and you gotta stacked Western Conference out there and you got to navigate that and you don't want LeBron to have to play too many minutes.

  • Every that's been a controversy already.

  • How many minutes is LeBron playing well, if he's out there without Anthony Davis is gonna be too many minutes.

  • So I I just as a basketball fan, I I hope Anthony Davis is healthy enough to be Anthony Davis by the time the Lakers get to the playoffs.

  • Okay, so here is what I would worry about.

  • I would worry that this is a chronic injury.

  • Anthony Davis has missed a bunch of games in his career.

  • He's not LeBron.

  • Nobody is LeBron.

  • He's missed games.

  • He gets hurt, got hurt a little bit.

  • New Orleans gets hurt a little bit with Lakers.

  • I would worry that this is something that he'll play a little bit and it will get hurt again.

  • And then it will be like Kevin Durant, where they said of Kevin Durant that he had a high ankle sprain.

  • The next thing you know, it was his Achilles that he was out for a full year.

  • They're saying This is a calf strain.

  • This could be the next thing you know.

  • It's an Achilles and he's out for a whole year and I wonder about this again.

  • Not with LeBron.

  • Anthony Davis played deep into the fall.

  • It seems right.

  • That's when they ended and his turnaround time was very, very minimal.

  • And he goes out there in the way he plays.

  • Maybe that is too much of a strain.

  • So I would not be optimistic about this because look, they cannot win without him.

  • No, he wasn't on the team a couple of years ago.

  • They even make the playoffs.

  • They can.

  • Tony.

  • Simple.

  • If we gotta play and be best if we ask who the best number two player is the best second best player in the N B.

  • A.

  • With all due respect threesome in Brooklyn, Are we gonna agree with Anthony Davis?

  • Oh, sure, Absolutely.

  • We're gonna agree about that.

  • Yes, certainly.

  • They need him.

  • They need him.

  • That's it.

  • We're done back to you and and Kevin with you.

  • Adrian Ward Yanovsky reporting that Lakers star Anthony Davis is, um, diagnosed with a strained calf after an m.

  • R.

  • I showed aggravation near his right.

  • Achilles will be re evaluated in 2 to 3 weeks, expected to be sidelined until after the All Star break, which ends on March 10th and be a reporter.

  • Dave McMenamin, who covers the Lakers, joins us now, so Dave.

  • What was the team's reaction to the Emery results?

  • Hannah team source told me late this afternoon.

  • That quote long season long haul take as long as he needs.

  • And the source added that this is a consequence of a 71 day off season.

  • The Lakers were playing the MBA Finals in October.

  • They're playing training camp in December, and certainly these types of injuries can pop up overuse type of injuries.

  • And the message overall, though, is let's be patient here because we wanna be able to play into the late summer rather than try to push Anthony Davis.

  • Right now, that makes sense.

  • So what's the game plan for during his absence?

  • Well, Frank Vogel has a couple options here.

  • Certainly could go to Cal Kuzma, the four year player who's showed some bright spots being a team type of contributor this year, not just scoring as he's been known for in the past, but getting offensive rebounds, getting steals, deflections, taking charges that would be the most likely option.

  • But it also could mean some more minutes for Markieff Morris, who has been out of the rotation, a nice stretch five player who they stand in the off season hoping to play alongside a D.

  • Well, you could be getting some of eighties minutes here.

  • Yeah, and the good news for the Lakers is so far this season, they've really taken care of business only seven losses on the season.

  • So hopefully they will be able to weather this.

  • Dave McMenamin, as always.

  • Thanks.

  • Thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming sports and premium content.

  • Subscribe Thio, ESPN plus.

It's our breaking news tonight here on SportsCenter and M R I today revealed a calf strain and an aggravation near Davis is right Achilles, according to Adrian Ward Yanovsky.

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