About a month and a half ago, on February 1, the Dallas Mavericks made one of the most spectacular trades in NBA history when they sent Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Luka Doncic. Since then, Dallas’ situation has gotten much worse. Fans realized right away that it would be bad to trade Doncic before he reached his prime, but nobody could have foreseen the catastrophe that is currently unfolding in Dallas.
Given how many players are hurt, the Mavericks may have to forfeit games, and Davis is on that lengthy list.
On February 8, he made a fantastic debut for the Mavs against the Houston Rockets, but his afternoon ended early because he was hurt in the third quarter and hasn’t played since. When questioned about his injury following the game, Davis expressed optimism that it wasn’t serious. However, it was later revealed that he had an adductor strain, which would severely disrupt Dallas’ season.
The Mavericks have now lost 10 of their last 12 games at the most important part of the season with the playoffs being a month away, but Davis’ return is on the horizon. Davis practiced with the Texas Legends on Monday to ramp up his activity for a return to the floor soon, and fans could end up seeing him play in a game as soon as this week with Dallas scheduled to play the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night and the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.
Anthony Davis’ return could backfire for Mavericks
Davis returning to the floor would undoubtedly help Dallas string together some wins amid this dreary season that continues to drag on, but him returning naturally creates a risky issue that may not even be worth it in the long run
Given that he is playing again this season, Davis runs the risk of re-injuring his adductor, which could necessitate surgery and significantly disrupt his offseason training schedule. Given that this will be Davis’ first offseason in Dallas, it would be less than ideal for him to miss the entire training season. Additionally, it would add another serious injury to his already extensive history of injuries. The Mavericks should put their new franchise player’s long-term health ahead of their hopes of winning a few play-in games because that is the last thing they need right now.
According to early reports, Davis is eager to return to the court, just as he was when he first started his career in Dallas (which resulted in his injury because he probably returned too soon). The Mavericks need to approach this strategically. They will want to keep Davis happy, but they also need to consider the big picture and his future with the Mavericks, so they are definitely facing a dilemma.
On top of the risk of him getting re-injured, Davis’ return will naturally lead to more wins for the Mavericks, consequently tanking their lottery odds. Dallas hasn’t thrown in the towel yet on the season, as the players are still motivated to try to make a run in the postseason, but that seems beyond unrealistic at this point considering the injuries the team is dealing with. Without Kyrie Irving, the team has no real chance of winning a playoff series, and while Davis’ insertion into the lineup would temporarily excite fans, the Mavericks would compromise their future and potentially Davis’ while doing so.
The cons seem to heavily outweigh the pros when it comes to Davis’ potential return from injury, and nothing is set in stone just yet. While all signs are pointing to Davis making a return at some point this season, there is still some concern from Dallas’ end that he could get re-injured while doing so according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
The Mavericks’ predicament with Davis and his injury management is just getting started, and either choice they make could have major repercussions that go well beyond this season.
