2 min read • December 19, 2021
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The Lakers officially diagnosed star forward Anthony Davis with an MCL sprain in his left knee on Saturday, an injury that will keep him out for at least 4 weeks.
As our team of ProBasketballDocs surmised after the injury, it was more severe than a contusion of the “structurally sound” knee that Los Angeles initially stated. Based on video of the injury and Davis’ movement as he was heading into the locker room, we believe that he suffered a patella subluxation (transient dislocation), during which the kneecap was dislocated and quickly re-entered the joint. You can see Davis grabbing and putting pressure directly above his kneecap after taking a knee from Jaden McDaniels. That injury is often associated with MCL sprains.
The 28-year-old will miss at least the next 13 games, which includes contests with Suns, Nets (on Christmas), the red-hot Grizzlies twice, the Hawks, and the Nuggets. The Lakers will also be without center Dwight Howard, who was placed in the league’s health and safety protocols on Dec. 14, for at least the next 3 games. His earliest return would be on Dec. 25. Los Angeles will have to find an alternative strategy to combat talented young big men Deandre Ayton and Jaren Jackson Jr. and defending MVP Nikola Jokic.
Kevin Durant suffered a similar injury in late February of 2017 – a grade 2 MCL sprain and tibial bone bruise in his left knee – and missed 19 games over 39 days, which is just over 5-and-a half weeks. He came back and helped lead the Warriors to the championship that season.
Recently, Davis missed 2 games with left knee soreness from an unknown culprit that he reported to the team on Dec. 6. Additionally, this is the 3rd serious injury Davis has had in his left knee: an MCL sprain in April 2013, and a stress reaction and tendinopathy in his kneecap in March 2016 that required surgery.
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