Mar 27, 2022; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Injured Los Angeles Lakers forward Anthony Davis looks on in the second quarter against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently the 10th seed in the Western Conference, hanging on for dear life for a spot in the NBA play-in tournament. It hasn’t helped that they have been without star forward Anthony Davis since he suffered an ankle injury back in February.

Davis has been frequently injured for the Lakers this season, playing in only 37 games, which has exacerbated his reputation of being injury-prone amongst many NBA fans.

However, it appears that we finally have a return date for the eight-time All-Star. NBA insider Shams Charania has reported that Davis plans to return for the Lakers matchup against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, barring any potential setbacks.

The end of the season will be crucial for the Lakers, who are only ahead of the San Antonio Spurs by half a game in the Western Conference for the final play-in spot.

This news has the NBA world excited to see Davis on the court with the hope that he can solve some of the issues the Lakers have had this season.

LeBron James is also injured and he will attempt to play on Friday despite a pretty nasty-looking sprained ankle that he suffered on Sunday.

While many are excited to see Davis back on the court, there are concerns that the team is rushing him back too soon. ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday that Davis will not be 100 percent when he returns on Friday, which has many wondering if it’s really worth it to jeopardize his long-term health over this season.

It is clear that the Lakers are in panic mode here and attempting to salvage what has been an extremely disappointing season. They need Davis back if they want any chance of making noise in the play-in tournament. However, it may be too little too late to save this disastrous season in Los Angeles.

[Shams Charania]

About Reice Shipley

Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.