NBA Star Index: Lakers skidding without LeBron James and Anthony Davis, and things could get even dicier

Meanwhile, Kyle Lowry is staying put in Toronto, as is Lonzo Ball in New Orleans

Welcome back to the NBA Star Index -- a weekly gauge of the players who are most controlling the buzz around the league. Reminder: Inclusion on this list isn't necessarily a good thing. It simply means that you're capturing the NBA world's attention. Also, this is not a ranking. The players listed are in no particular order as it pertains to the buzz they're generating. This column will run every week through the end of the regular season.  Davis has been out since Feb. 14 with a calf/Achilles injury, and on Thursday Lakers coach Frank Vogel said the Lakers star is "still a ways away" from returning.  Davis has now missed the Lakers' last 17 games, in which they have gone 7-10 after Thursday's loss to Philadelphia. Nobody wants to mess with a calf injury after what happened to Kevin Durant, who went from a calf strain to a torn Achilles with one step in the 2019 Finals. The Lakers are going to be as cautious as possible with Davis, even if it costs them some playoff positioning.