Anthony Davis on track to return to Lakers’ lineup Tuesday vs. Nets

After missing a month with an MCL sprain, Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis is expected to return to the lineup on Jan. 25 against the Brooklyn Nets. 

Before the Lakers defeated the Orlando Magic without Anthony Davis, Los Angeles fans got a sneak peek into how Davis was doing after his MCL sprain.

The cheers indicate which shots he made and how ready fans are to see him grace the court. On Tuesday, it seems like AD may finally be on the court for more than warmups.

With the Lakers sitting at eighth in the conference with a 23-24 record, the timely return of Davis would make all the difference for the impending playoffs.

Lakers’ Anthony Davis set to return from MCL sprain against Brooklyn Nets

Looking at game logs, it may seem like the Lakers don’t necessarily need AD to find a win: the Lakers are 10-10 without Davis throughout the season. But during his MCL sprain, the Lakers have done slightly worse, going 7-9 as Davis recovers.

Advanced stats appear to tell the same story. When Davis is on the floor, the Lakers a worse net rating (-2.5) compared to when Davis is out (-0.8). Where Davis does contribute is on defense, but only marginally: Davis offers 108.0 defensive rating when on the floor compared to a 110.4 rating while out.

That being said, having Davis can only help the Lakers, on defense, at least. The Lakers have been middling all year, and they certainly need the best of their roster to be able to push past that and land a playoff spot rather than a play-in slot.

“Just having him on the floor creates so much for us offensively and defensively,” said teammate LeBron James.

Even though the Lakers have had a difficult year, AD is still one of the greatest in the league — and having him available is all that Lakers can hope for as they play on the bubble.