Anthony Davis looked like a superstar during his debut for the Dallas Mavericks, but he has quickly fallen into old, injured habits.
After being traded to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis was expected to pair up with Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson and open a definitive championship window for the Dallas Mavericks.
As a top defender and one of the best big men in the league, there was no doubt that Davis would improve the Mavericks in the short term, and fans’ complaints about the trade were more about the long-term impact of losing Doncic.
In his first 30 minutes with the Mavs, Davis looked like one of the very best players in the world. He scored 26 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, dished out seven assists, and blocked three shots against the Houston Rockets in his debut, although late in the third quarter he suffered a non-contact injury to his groin.
Davis waved the injury off, calling it “not serious,” but he is yet to suit up since and is expected to miss games through the All-Star Break, with Irving replacing him as a Western Conference representative.
Davis walked off the court under his own power when he sustained the injury, but it was immediately clear that despite his assurances, he would miss time. ESPN Insider Brian Windhorse explained on The Hoops Collective podcast just how serious the injury can be.
“Anthony Davis will be out for a while,” Windhorst said. “I believe as we sit here right now he has avoided surgery.
“I believe that’s the current plan, but I also believe that it is going to be a significant period. What does significant mean? Weeks. Weeks and weeks.”
With Davis–who is now the Mavs’ best player–out for “weeks,” their season is in doubt. At 28-26 and eighth in the Western Conference, the new-look Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, and San Antonio Spurs will all be looking to overtake them in the standings.
After making the NBA Finals last season and getting off to a solid start this year, the Mavericks made a clear win-now move, trading the injured Doncic for Davis, who has an extensive injury history of his own.
However, he has managed to remain on the court for most of this season, and after his dominant showing against the Rockets, the Mavericks looked the part of a title contender.
That said, Davis is not the only Mavericks’ big man out. Centers Dereck Lively III, Daniel Gafford, and Dwight Powell are all also on the injury report, and none of them are expected back anytime soon. With no size and limited star power, the Mavericks should consider waving the white flag(g) on the season.
While it is quite the fall from grace, plenty of fans checked out as soon as Nico Harrison traded away Doncic, so there isn’t a fanbase invested in winning like there once was.
