ATLANTA — Hesitant to build outside expectations about when he’ll return, but clearly pleased with the progress he’s made so far. Los Angeles Lakers star forward, Anthony DavisHe spoke to reporters on Friday for the first time since suffering a strain injury to his right foot two weeks ago.

“I feel so much better, the pain has decreased dramatically,” Davis told a small group of Los Angeles reporters before the Lakers played for the Atlanta Hawks. “I think the next step is recovery [del pie] at this time. I don’t want to talk about schedules because that’s a completely different thing, but he’s recovering pretty quickly.”

“Then when we get back to LA, we’ll have another picture of the foot and see how well it heals.”

Davis detailed the complex injury he’s dealing with. Fractured bony spur in the navicular bone of the right foot. This same navicular bone, located on the top of the foot between the ankle and the toes, has a stress reaction that first appeared in a game against the Denver Nuggets on December 16 when it collided. Nikola Jokic in paint.

“That move, I think caused it,” Davis said. “So when I went to get an x-ray at halftime, it was bothering me, it was very painful.”

The infection was identified before it got worse. “A stress reaction (can lead to) a stress fracture, and that’s a completely different problem,” Davis said.

Pain was initially scored as a nine out of ten, according to Davies. In the weeks that have passed, that number has dwindled to one or two.

Davis said he had an MRI on his foot on Dec. 22, and the Lakers have shared the images with five doctors and specialists to determine a recovery plan. One of the options available to him is to undergo a procedure to remove the bone spur. A doctor theorized that the spur had been on his foot since his college days at the University of Kentucky more than a decade ago, but it simply hadn’t caused him any problems.

“I don’t like surgery,” said Davis. “I feel like if that can be avoided, then let’s avoid it.”

To avoid the surgical route, Davis and the Lakers medical staff opted for an operation that would take time to rest and recover and then rush him back.

How long will it take? That remained to be seen. Davis will again undergo an MRI when the team returns to Los Angeles next week and if he comes out clean he will begin treatment for the injury, including shock wave therapy and orthopedic stimulation.

Even if Davis is able to return to the court to finish the 2022-23 season with the Lakers, he knows surgery may be necessary in the future.

Something to consider, in the off-season, to remove [el espolón óseo]”He said.” However, I think the most important thing is the reaction to stress, just watching that. Because that could definitely take six, seven, eight months, which I’d rather take four weeks than seven months. I’m not saying “I’ll be back in four weeks,” but I hope.

An injury cut short an impressive comeback season for Davis as he averaged 27.4 points while recording the highest rebounds per game (12.1) and field goal percentage (59.4%), along with 2.1 blocks on the night.

This, after Davis missed more than half of the Lakers’ games in the past two seasons due to various injuries, of course.

“It was mentally tough for me just because of the fact that I came out last year with injuries and I had the mentality to get back to what I want to be as a player, in that mold,” Davis said. “For something like that to happen was mentally tough.”

However, for now, there is reason for cautious optimism.

“It’s heading in the right direction,” said Lakers coach Darvin Hamm. “Everything he was asked to do he did and continues to do. We all feel great, starting with our medical staff.”

Davis is eager to pick up where he left off.