The Mavericks have provided an injury update on a potential Anthony Davis return. The star has been upgraded to “doubtful” on the Mavericks’ injury report ahead of the team’s game against the Brooklyn Nets on Monday. Davis has been out for six weeks with a groin injury. He went down in his first game as a Maverick after being traded from the Los Angeles Lakers. The Mavericks’ season has steadily gone down from there. Despite all the drama around the Davis-Luka Doncic trade, the Mavericks still had hopes for a postseason run behind Davis and Kyrie Irving. Then Davis went down, and Irving shortly followed with a season-ending ACL tear. The Mavericks are still in the mix for a Play-In Tournament spot, and Davis’ return could help them a lot. Still, the Mavericks are making a huge mistake in bringing Davis back at all.
Mavericks Are Making A Huge Mistake Managing This Stars’ Injury
The Mavericks’ Season is Cooked
For at least this season, the Mavericks are screwed. Without Irving, they don’t have much of a chance to compete for a title. The best they could hope for is a one, or highly unlikely, two-round playoff run. Of course, that is only possible if Davis returns from injury, but the question is, does it matter?
The Mavericks already jeopardized their entire season by trading away one of the best players in the league for pennies on the dollar. Then, when Davis went down for an extended period, they decided to continue to push for wins. Some blame the added workload on Irving during this time for contributing to his injury. Regardless, the Mavericks were out their two best players and quickly plummeted down the Western Conference standings. They are now the 11th seed, tied with the Suns with a record of 34-37.
Anthony Davis’ Return is Pointless
So what is the point of bringing back Davis for the last handful of games of the season? They’ve already alienated their fanbase, blundered away the franchise’s second-greatest star, and have lost any real hope of competing this season. Bringing back Davis not only puts him at risk for further injury, but it hurts the Mavericks’ chances of landing a decent draft pick.
Even if the Mavericks get Davis back and put together some wins, they’re looking at a best-case scenario of fighting for a spot in the Play-In Tournament. Even if they win, their chances of even getting out of the first round are slim to none. All of this is to appease an already livid fanbase. It doesn’t make sense.
For the Mavericks, Tanking is Their Best Option
Unfortunately at this point, tanking is the best option for the Mavericks. They should shelve Davis for the rest of the year and lose as many games as possible. The 2025 NBA Draft is loaded with talent. They should position themselves for at least an opportunity to grab a great young prospect.
Then they could go into next season knowing they have a healthy Davis, a recovering Irving, and maybe another asset from the draft. Sure, that doesn’t sound great. Still, it is better than losing in the Play-In Tournament or getting swept by OKC in the first round of the playoffs.
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