Anthony Davis’ debut was a bittersweet moment for the Dallas Mavericks community.
It’s tough being a sports fan, especially when your team trades the franchise player in the middle of his prime.
The pain only multiplies when the player who was supposed to help the team enter the “win-now” gets injured during his debut.
Sounds rough, right? Well, that’s what the Dallas Mavericks fanbase has gone through over the past few days.
Last season, Luka Doncic essentially carried the Mavericks to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2011. Any other franchise would have built around the superstar who achieved that feat as a 25-year-old but not the Mavericks.
In a shocking move, general manager Nico Harrison traded Doncic to acquire Anthony Davis in a blockbuster deal with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The move blindsided nearly everyone in the NBA community, and despite getting backstabbed by the front office and ownership, Mavs fans showed up for Davis’ much-anticipated debut.
AD was unstoppable during the first half of the Mavericks’ recent 116-105 win over the Houston Rockets. Unfortunately, the happiness didn’t last long when Davis exited the game with a non-contact injury.
It’s confirmed that the former Lakers star could miss up to a month due to a left abductor strain. What a huge blow to the Mavericks! But the worst is yet to come.
How often do fans see a team miss the postseason right after making it to the NBA Finals? Not too often. But the Mavericks may find themselves on this unfortunate list by the end of the 2024-25 season.
As of now, the Mavericks hold the eighth seed in the Western Conference with a 28-25 record. But they just one loss away from equalling the tally of the 11th-seeded Golden State Warriors.
One losing streak could lead to the Mavs not only falling out of playoff contention but out of the Play-In tournament as well.
It will take immense effort from the likes of Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson to keep the team afloat until Davis is declared fit.
