Los Angeles Lakers star big man Anthony Davis hasn’t played since Feb. 14 due to lingering issues related to the calf strain and tendinosis in his right leg.
Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN and the NBA’s website, though, the 28-year-old intends to return to action for Thursday’s matchup against the Dallas Mavericks as long as he doesn’t suffer any setback during Wednesday’s practice session.
Davis understandably will have his minutes limited considering the nature of the injury and his time away from competitive play. Lakers coach Frank Vogel told reporters he plans to start Davis on Thursday but will restrict the one-time NBA champion to 15 minutes versus Dallas and in his next game.
The Lakers again play against the Mavericks on Saturday night.
Los Angeles has won only 14 of 30 games during Davis’ absence. He’s played in 23 contests this season and was averaging 22.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.8 blocks when he became a long-term spectator.
Additionally, Vogel said that LeBron James “probably has a couple weeks or so” before he’s back from the high-ankle sprain he suffered on March 20.
Without the pair in the rotation, the Lakers have fallen to 35-23 and fifth in the Western Conference standings.
