Anthony Davis' unreliability means scary post-LeBron James world for LA Lakers

Anthony Davis has shown in recent years that at his best, he can be one of the most dominant players in the NBA. Prior to an injury that has sidelined him over the last month, Davis was putting up MVP-caliber numbers. Despite being in obvious physical pain, AD was supremely dominant on the court.

Unfortunately, for him and the LA Lakers, Anthony Davis once again found himself on the sidelines due to a foot injury. So far this season, he's played in just 25 of the Lakers' 45 games. This has become something of a regular occurrence, as Davis played in just 40 games last season and 36 the campaign before that.

Depending on how this season plays out, Davis could set a new career-low for games played.

Given his spotty track record when it comes to injury, LA could find themselves in a difficult position if Davis opts in to his $43.2 million contract for next season. LeBron James will be entering the final year of his contract extension next campaign.

Should Anthony Davis continue to struggle with injuries, the Lakers may want to find him another team. With a massive contract on their hands, however, that could prove to be a difficult task. With James putting up insane numbers in year 20, LA will likely want to get the most out of his remaining time with the team.

If Davis can't remain healthy, then when James leaves, the Lakers will be without an identity.

Anthony Davis and the LA Lakers this season

Anthony Davis (Boston Celtics v Los Angeles Lakers)

Currently, much of the Lakers' success depends on whether or not Davis is able to successfully return from injury. If he winds up returning in a big way, LA will have a realistic shot at getting into the postseason. With seventh place and 13th place in the Western Conference separated by a margin of two games, the team needs Davis healthy.

The hope right now is that Davis is ready to return to the court by the end of the month. He's recently started to get through workouts, mostly without any pain. This indicates that he could be back in the lineup sooner rather than later.

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham spoke to reporters prior to the team's loss against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday. Here's what he said:

"He’s coming along as planned. He’s getting more and more on-court work, doing 30, 45-minute, almost an hour workouts. Us having him go through those workouts, and they are intense, just to see how the foot reacts to those workouts. Lately, he’s been pretty much pain-free so once that continues for a little bit more time then we’ll see where he’s at."

After being sidelined through the end of December and the beginning of January, it could take some time to get back to optimal form once he returns to the floor. At the same time, the team's front office will be navigating the upcoming trade deadline on February 9.

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