It was one of the smart, under-the-radar pickups of last summer, the Jazz signing solid veteran Ed Davis to back up Rudy Gobert at the five.
However, he will not be doing that for the next month due to a fractured fibula (the smaller bone that runs next to the shin bone), something the team announced on Saturday. The injury happened during the third quarter of Utah’s dramatic loss to Sacramento on Friday night. Davis left the game at the time not to return. From the team’s official press release:
This evaluation revealed a fractured left fibula that was sustained on Nov. 1 at Sacramento. Davis will be reevaluated in four weeks.
While Davis had left the game, he was seen limping only slightly in the locker room later — not on crutches — and the injury was not expected to be this severe.
Tony Bradley will get more minutes as the backup five, and expect some small-ball lineups with Jeff Green at center.
Davis had struggled a little to start the season — as have a number of Jazz players — shooting just 40 percent from the floor and playing 12 minutes a night. The Jazz trust that Davis, and veterans such as Mike Conley, will eventually find their groove and turn the Jazz into contenders.
Davis’ help with that plan will be on hold for a month or so.