The Los Angeles Lakers continued their bounce back following a 1-4 road trip with a second consecutive win on their home floor, this time over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. The win improved their record to 6-4 on the season. Unfortunately for the Lakers, the win included an early exit for their league MVP contenderAnthony Davisdue to an eye injury. His return is unknown at this time.
Lakers MVP Contender To Have Eye Examined, Per ESPN Source
LA Lakers MVP Contender Anthony Davis Seeing Ophthalmologist For Eye Injury
According to https://twitter.com/mcten/status/1855864274121265639?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EtweetDavis is seeing an ophthalmologist on Monday for an eye examination. He took a hand to the face that caught his eye from Raptors center Jakob Poeltlwhich subsequentlyknocked him out of the game. This is hardly the first time AD has had his eyes hit, poked, or grazed over the years, and it seems like it happens several times a season. This is also not the only ailment Davis is suffering from this season, as plantar fasciitis continues to nag him and has kept him out of one game already.
Even amid his foot issues, Davis is still putting up league MVP-esque numbers. He has hit 30 or more points in six out of ten games so far, averaging 31.2 PPG, 10.6 RPG, and shooting 35.3% from three, which exceeds his career average. He’s playing as dominating as ever in the season’s early stages. Under JJ Redick‘s intention to make Davis the focal point of the Lakers offense, it’s evidently paying off. Whether this latest injury will cut into Davis’ playing time remains to be determined. The Lakers have two days off before returning to the floor on Wednesday.
AD’s Injury Illuminates Need for a Trade
The Lakers will only go somewhere with Davis; that is a fact. He was able to play a career-high 76 games last season. That doesn’t mean that achievement will carry over to this season, though. He’s already missed one game due to his foot. There is also a chance he’ll miss time because of his eye. It’s evident that this year’s team has something with Redick at the helm they didn’t have under Darwin Hamand LeBron James is still playing astonishingly great. So, the Lakers need to pull the trigger on a trade, and waiting until February is unwise.
Jaxson Hayes is a nice player—he works extremely hard, provides a boost of energy off the bench, and throws down dunks with power. Unfortunately, he’s not Davis. He’s also not on par with some other centers around the league LA is rumored to be looking at.
The Lakers need to have a suitable backup plan behind or beside Davis. His health is uncertain at this time, not to mention who knows what other injuries he may suffer down the road. Making a move for another big man is crucial. In the meantime, hopefully, Davis will be able to overcome his eye injury in a speedy fashion. The Lakers host a Memphis Grizzlies team they lost by 17 to last week Wednesday. After that, they begin their NBA Cup group stage play on the road in San Antonio on Friday. There is no reason they can’t at least repeat as champions in the tournament, but Davis has to be available.
