Is the ‘Bad Boys era’ of the Detroit Pistons back? Because they sure did deliver a lot of blows to Anthony Davis. But that did not stop AD from dropping a solid performance. In 39 minutes on the court, he posted an impressive stat line with 37 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. He went 13-for-23 from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, missing all four three-point attempts.

During the team’s 115-103 loss to the Pistons on Monday, the All-Star big man awkwardly twisted his ankle and fell to the floor. In fact, D’Angelo Russell had to assist him, as the hoopster carefully made his way back into the game. You could tell AD was moving cautiously, and it was a tough moment for the LA team to see him go down like that. He is suffering from a left heel contusion.

And now Anthony Davis will be out against the Memphis Grizzlies. JJ Redick said they are taking a “long-term view” with his health. The big man has suited up for all 7 of the Lakers’ games so far, making an impact on both offense and defense. His dominant performances have already thrust him into early discussions for the MVP and DPOY titles! But the Lakers HC has said the star will be back on Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers.

JJ Redick also mentioned, “It’s just left foot soreness. We haven’t gotten an image or anything. From my understanding, it is something that off and on has bothered him a little bit throughout the summer and so far in the season, but I don’t think there’s an official diagnosis, so it’s just left foot soreness. We’ll obviously miss him a lot.” Seems like it is a recurring issue, but no official diagnosis yet!? That just feels wrong.

Who’ll be replacing Anthony Davis on the LA Lakers?

The Lakers have called up a two-way contract player who was supposed to sweat it out in the G-League. Two-way center Christian Koloko has now received medical clearance from the NBA’s fitness-to-play panel. Originally drafted by Toronto in the second round in 2022, Koloko hadn’t seen action since his rookie year due to a blood clot condition that nearly ended his career. The Raptors waived him in Jan, but the LA side signed him to a two-way contract before this season, hoping he could strengthen their frontcourt once given the green light. Now that Koloko’s path back has officially begun, the hoopster feels nothing but gratitude.

The 7-foot big man spoke to Dave McMenamin of ESPN before the game and said, “It was pretty long, but we got the outcome we wanted and I’m back here now, so that’s most important. And I just appreciate the support of everybody that was involved in it, the NBA, the NBPA, the Lakers, and my doctors. It was a long process, but I’m just happy to be back.”

The Lakers signed Koloko in late September to strengthen their frontcourt depth and offer support for AD but is currently one of only two active centers on the roster. Additionally, with young center Jaxson Hayes under investigation again by the NBA, over a domestic violence allegation, the Lakers management and the coaching staff are being cautious. He might still play, though.

The LA side took Christian Koloko with them to Memphis for their game against Ja Morant’s team, expecting him to be active for the matchup. The team plans to throw him directly into the action now that they’ve cleared him. It’ll be exciting to see if he makes an immediate impact on the floor.