Anthony Davis has a chip on his shoulder to prove his critics wrong, says Brian Windhorst.
Outside of maybe the 2019-20 NBA season, Anthony Davis was never a true No. 1 option during his five-and-a-half-year stint with the Los Angeles Lakers.
This season, Davis was looking in great touch, but he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Luka Doncic. It was a move that no one saw coming.
Right after joining the Mavs, Davis suffered an injury during his team debut. But now he’s back and reminded fans of his talents during the Mavs ‘ 120-118 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison has been painted as the biggest culprit in the infamous Luka Doncic trade.
Harrison has been bombarded with insulting chants by the Dallas fanbase every time he has made an appearance at the American Airlines Center. With that said, NBA expert Brian Windhorst believes Davis wants to fight for Harrison while proving his critics wrong as well.
“He’s motivated to do something for Nico Harrison. The guy that he’s known for decades, the guy that believed in him to make this trade. He wants to have his back as much as he can.
“And he wants to do it for himself. He wants to show everybody and show himself that he can still be the centre-piece of a franchise.”
Being an injury-prone big man, Davis is already 32 years old. The 2020 NBA champ’s age was the primary concern of Mavs fans when the organization parted ways with Doncic.
Moreover, Davis missing six weeks right after his debut didn’t help in quieting down the narrative. But beneath that, AD is still a sensational player who is in the prime of his career.
The 10x NBA All-Star proved it during the Mavs vs Hawks matchup, where he finished the night with 34 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 5 blocks in just 30 minutes of playing time.
On top of that, Davis also hit a game-winner to seal the win for the Mavericks. If this version of Davis shows up on a nightly basis, then Windhorst’s analysis could prove to be true.
