MIAMI — The Mavericks knew they would be without Kyrie Irving entering this season, but losing Anthony Davis for nearly a month only five games in wasn’t on their bingo card.
The 10-time All-Star’s absence has factored into Dallas’ disappointing start as it sits 13th in the Western Conference with the second-most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA.
Davis has been out of the lineup since suffering a left calf strain against the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 29. His status with the team was already under a microscope, given his injury history, but the firing of Nico Harrison placed a spotlight on Davis’ future in Dallas.
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After eight missed games, the Mavericks issued a medical update last Sunday that revealed Davis was making “good progress,” but would be sidelined an additional seven to 10 days before being reevaluated.
The Mavericks big man was upgraded to doubtful for Monday’s game against the Miami Heat, a sign of progress as he nears the end of his reassessment timeframe Wednesday.
“He’s working to get back,” Kidd said during his pregame news conference. “We anticipate him at practice this week. I think any time with a calf strain, you have to be cautious, but he’s worked extremely hard. The next step is practice on Wednesday, and we’ll see what happens after that.”
The Mavericks have taken a cautious approach with Davis because calf strains, no matter how mild, can lead to more severe injuries, such as an Achilles tear. Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton, Portland’s Damian Lillard and Boston’s Jayson Tatum all tore their Achilles tendon during last season’s playoffs after suffering calf strains.
Davis was questionable for the Pacers game with bilateral Achilles tendinopathy and left the game in the first quarter because of lower leg soreness. An MRI revealed Davis’ calf strain.
Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont has been involved in several conversations about Davis’ injury, showing he’s taken a more active role even before Harrison’s firing.
It’s natural for the Mavericks to want to protect their best player, especially after he paid the price of returning early from an abdominal injury during his team debut in February. Davis strained his adductor after 2 1⁄2 dominant quarters and missed 18 games until his late-season return to help the Mavericks reach the play-in tournament.
A premature return that led Davis to reaggravate the calf strain, or worse, would be catastrophic for the Mavericks and the 32-year-old, who has a documented history with injuries. He’s played more than 60 games in a season only once since 2019-20, when he won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers. He has appeared in 14 out of a possible 51 games for the Mavericks.
For context, that’s fewer than Cooper Flagg, who played his 18th game in the NBA on Monday.
Minority shareholder Mark Cuban said the Mavericks won’t look to trade Davis despite speculation around his future with the franchise. After being away from basketball operations since selling the team in 2023, Cuban has been advising the team along with co-general managers Matt Riccardi and Michael Finley while the Mavericks search for a full-time replacement.
Whether the Mavericks continue to try to win with Davis, as Cuban said, or pivot to build around their 18-year-old rookie before the Feb. 5 trade deadline, they need the big man to return to the court and stay healthy.
He was averaging a double-double of 20.8 points and 10.2 rebounds prior to the injury. Any semblance of that production will give the Mavericks a greater chance of reaping maximum value.
Davis missed his 14th consecutive game Monday, with only four more absences needed until he’s disqualified from the NBA’s minimum requirement of 65 games to remain eligible for postseason awards, such as All-NBA teams and Defensive Player of the Year.
As Kidd mentioned, Wednesday’s practice in Dallas marks a key benchmark in Davis’ recovery. It could set the stage for a long-anticipated return Friday, not just to the lineup, but to Los Angeles, where he hasn’t played since being traded for Luka Doncic.
Meanwhile, Doncic is a legitimate MVP candidate averaging 34.5 points, 8.8 rebounds and 8.9 assists, with the Lakers second in the West.
It would be quite the sight for fans of both teams to see Davis on the bench, watching his former team, while Doncic is on the court, healthy and playing well.
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