Is Anthony Davis all right? That question would be pondered upon by attendees at the Wells Fargo Center as the Los Angeles Lakers–Philadelphia 76ers matchup continues to be underway.

Anthony Davis exited the game in the first half of the Lakers-76ers matchup after sustaining an ‘apparent’ injury. From the footage of TNT Sports, the player could be seen heading back to the locker room with a staff member escorting him. By the time the game’s first half continued, the exact details of Davis’s ailment were not specified.

However, Sports Injury Central quickly reported that Davis had gone down with an abdominal muscle strain. He was reported ‘Questionable’ to return as the game continued. The player left after making just 4 points on a 2-for-3 shooting from the field. Along with that, he made 2 rebounds and 1 steal in 10 minutes.

The Lakers Center is quite infamous for being ‘injury-prone’, often developing ailments during crucial periods. By 2022, being criticized for his ‘injury-prone’ nature had gotten to Davis. Due to this, he retorted “I’m not worried about who’s saying what or who thinks this about me because none of them have stepped on the floor and played”. Unfortunately, the player’s recent incident is not helping to make a good case in his regard.

Despite his ‘injury-prone’ reputation, Anthony Davis has been quite consistent in his appearances this season. He has played in 42 of the Lakers’ 45 games till this point. The Center was coming off a memorable game night. He had scored 42 points, a whopping 23 rebounds, and 2 assists during a 112-107 win against the Charlotte Hornets. Therefore, for him to go from that to his current predicament may be disheartening for his squad and his fans. After all, another update confirmed that the player would be ‘OUT’ for the remainder of the Lakers-76ers game.

Since the onset of the ongoing season, Anthony Davis has sustained issues on his hip, ankle, plantar, foot, elbow, shoulder, and calf. Only a few of them have been serious enough to keep the player out of the starting lineup. Unfortunately, NBA Injury Insider Dr. Evan Jeffries indicated that calling the ailment a ‘strain’ is a concern. As the doctor further highlighted, a Grade I strain can keep the player sidelined for 7-10 days. A Grade II injury might keep him out for 3-6 weeks. Therefore, as an update is sought on the severity of the abdominal muscle strain, it is unsure now whether the same will keep him out for the upcoming games. If it does, the Lakers will have some things to figure out.

How can the Lakers proceed without Anthony Davis?

If Anthony Davis is sidelined for an extended period, then Jaxson Hayes and Christian Koloko can see their minutes increase. As the 3 and 4 Centers on the Depth Chart, they will have to cover up for Davis since Jarred Vanderbilt is ‘OUT’ due to a foot injury.

Jaxson Hayes hasn’t been too impactful throughout the ongoing NBA season. He has played in only 23 games this season and started in 3. On top of that, his average score stands at 5.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists, with an average playing time of 16.2 minutes. On the shooting front, he has averaged 2.0-3.2 (64.4%) field goals, 0.0-0.1 (0.0%) three-pointers, and 1.1-1.5 (74.3%) free throws.

As for Christian Koloko, the 24-year-old fairs slightly better in some aspects in Hayes. While he has played 24 games this season, he has also started in none of them. Furthermore, with an average playing time of 8.6 minutes, he has scored 2.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per game.

Neither of the players is an ideal candidate to reach the same potential as Anthony Davis. Therefore, the sooner the player returns to the court, the better it will be for the Los Angeles Lakers squad.