Lakers receive devastating update about already thin center position

Anthony Davis could miss extended time with foot injury

The Los Angeles Lakers have received a devastating update about their already thin center position, as star big man Anthony Davis could miss extended time with a foot injury.

Davis suffered the injury in the Lakers' 126-108 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night. He was initially diagnosed with a right foot stress reaction, but an MRI on Saturday revealed a more serious injury.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Davis has a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his right foot. The typical recovery time for a Grade 2 MCL sprain is 4-6 weeks, which would mean Davis could miss the rest of the regular season and the playoffs.

Lakers now without two of their top three big men

The Lakers are already without starting center DeMarcus Cousins, who is recovering from a torn ACL. With Davis now out, the Lakers are left with JaVale McGee and Kyle Kuzma as their only two healthy big men.

McGee has been a solid backup center for the Lakers this season, averaging 9.1 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. However, he is not a true starting-caliber center, and the Lakers will need more from him if Davis is going to miss an extended period of time.

Kuzma has been playing out of position at center for the Lakers this season, and he has struggled in that role. He is averaging just 8.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, and he is not a good defender.

Lakers' playoff hopes take a hit

The Lakers are currently 37-26 and in fifth place in the Western Conference. They are just 2.5 games behind the fourth-place Houston Rockets, but they are also just 1.5 games ahead of the eighth-place San Antonio Spurs.

With Davis out, the Lakers' playoff hopes take a significant hit. They will need to find a way to replace his production, and that will be difficult to do with the players they have remaining.