Davis’ started the preseason on the injury report, so we should have known this year wouldn’t be much different for him health-wise. The Lakers big man has suffered numerous injuries throughout his NBA career, some lingering longer than others. His current ailment is a sore lower back.
There wasn’t any mention of a sore back through the offseason, but we knew this injury could be a problem when he was a late scratch in the second preseason game. He’s missed only one regular season game so far, but he has been seen holding his lower back during games and also told the media that his lower back was “killing” him during Sunday’s game.
He’s currently listed as questionable going forward, and given not only Davis’ injury history but also the sensitive nature of back injuries, we think this injury could linger for a while. While the Lakers have been adamant that Davis is healthy, the smart move here is to closely manage his playing time until his back heals. We haven’t seen much of that so far, but their tune may change now that Davis has discussed his level of pain with the media. If it’s just a grade 1 back injury, a full week or two of rest could be enough time for him to recover properly.
