The injury time continues to add up for Anthony Davis of the Dallas Mavericks. As the team prepares for its Friday night home game against the Detroit Pistons, Davis has once again been listed as out. The Mavericks said that his left adductor strain will keep him out of the lineup once again.
Davis has played in just one game for the Mavericks since he was moved by the Los Angeles Lakers prior to the trade deadline for ex-Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic. The trade has been widely panned from the Mavericks' perspective because Doncic is such a dependable scorer and a major offensive force.
Davis wants to return to the Mavericks as soon as he is able, but a recent report indicated that there are individuals in the Mavericks' front office that don't want Davis to return this season, via basketballinsiders.org. The feeling is that the risk of having Davis return at this point in the season is not worth the limited reward such a move would make. While the Mavericks made it to the NBA Finals last season against the Boston Celtics, the 2024-25 season has been nightmarish for the team.
The Mavericks are outside of the playoff structure with just 12 games to go in the regular season. They are in 11th place in the Western Conference with a 33-37 record. That's the same mark as the 10th-place Phoenix Suns, but the Mavs are listed below their rivals in the standings.
Mavericks have been slumping badly and trending in the wrong direction
Dallas Mavericks forward Anthony Davis looks on against the Milwaukee Bucks during the first half at American Airlines Center.
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
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The Mavericks are clearly going in the wrong direction in the home stretch of the regular season. They have lost 4 games in a row and 9 of their last 10. It appears that head coach Jason Kidd's team is tanking and that their next priority will be the NBA Draft.
Davis knows that the trade with the Lakers is quite unpopular with Mavericks fans. In the one game he played for the Mavericks, he put on a brilliant all-around performance. He scored 26 points and added 16 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks in a 116-105 victory over the Houston Rockets in early February.
However, Davis was not able to build on his notable start because he has been out with the adductor strain since that February game.
The team made the trade because Davis has shown that he is a solid all-around player who can contribute at both ends of the floor on a consistent basis. While Doncic has brilliant offensive talent, his lack of defensive skill and his effort on that end have been questioned.
a]:text-link [&_>a]:underline">Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including "Who's Better, Who's Best in the NFL."