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Anthony Davis Injury Report Better Than It Sounds For Mavs

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Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis after sustaining adductor injury

It was all going so well for Dallas Mavericks and newly acquired star Anthony Davis.

Mavs’ Anthony Davis Goes Down A Week After Trade

In what was one of the best team debuts that’s ever been seen, Davis dominated against the Houston Rockets, a young but respected opponent. In just the first four minutes, the big man gave the Rockets a bit of everything. By the end of the first half, he already had a stat line that most players would love to have after an entire game.

Then, in the third quarter, it all shifted. Maybe it was from being hit in the same area earlier. Whatever the reason, Davis fell to the hardwood like Andre the Giant hitting the canvas. There was no contact.

After the game, Davis downplayed the injury, saying it was “nothing serious.” However, he did make note of the fact that he’s still recovering from the abdominal strain that he was diagnosed with on Jan. 29.

It might be worth mentioning that he didn’t hear or feel a pop, which could’ve indicated a ligament tear. In addition to that, he was able to leave the court under his own power and without a discernible limp.

Nevertheless, on Super Bowl Sunday, ESPN senior insider Shams Charania revealed that Davis had been diagnosed with a left adductor strain. Consequently, he’s expected to be sidelined for multiple weeks and up to a month. The Stein Line insider Marc Stein adds that, on Monday, he and the Mavs will discuss options that’ll allow him to avoid surgery.

Injury Report Better Than It Sounds

Whatever Davis does –or doesn’t do — in Dallas will be forever tied to the trade that left them without face of the franchise Luka Doncic. As a result, most people’s immediate reaction to Davis’s injury news will be to say, ‘well, if we still had Luka.’ Fair enough, though Doncic has played just 22 games this season, while Davis has played 43.

With that being said, the report isn’t as bad as it sounds.

A month can feel like an eternity in the NBA. On average, the Mavericks played 14.3 games per month from November to January. However, with the NBA All-Star Break set for Feb. 14-19, it effectively removes a week from his recovery timeline. Furthermore, if Davis was to be out for four weeks (a month), he would theoretically return on March 10. The Mavs have 10 games from the end of the All-Star Break through March 10.

Thus, Davis is projected to miss about 13 games, counting the three showdowns Dallas will have prior to All-Star Weekend.

Playoff Projections

A lot can happen in 13 games, especially for a team that’s currently eighth in the West. Nonetheless, given the Mavericks’ 15-16 record without Doncic this season, they should be able to break even during Davis’s absence. If so, they may not move up or down in the standings, as they’re 1.5 games ahead of the Sacramento Kings and 1.5 games behind the Los Angeles Clippers.

It’s worth noting that the Kings are still trying to find their identity and composure after the De’Aaron Fox trade. The Phoenix Suns, tied with Sacramento in the standings, have two stars (Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal) nursing ankle injuries. The fifth-place Rockets have backslid, going 4-6 in their last 10 games. Last but not least, the sixth-place Minnesota Timberwolves — who are just 3.0 games ahead of Dallas –have been extremely reliant on anomalous performances in the wake of Julius Randle‘s injury.

All of that is to say that Davis’s adductor strain isn’t ideal, but it isn’t the end of the world. Especially as the Mavs are projected to have him available for the last 16 games of the regular season.

© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

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