Life flashed right before Dallas Mavericks fans' eyes on the afternoon of February 8.
It was a weird day, as it was the first home game following the Luka Doncic trade, and instead of excitement outside of the American Airlines Center before this game against the Houston Rockets, the vibe was furious. Hundreds of people gathered in PNC Plaza near the Dirk Nowitzki statue to protest the Doncic trade and show their disgust with the organization's decision to make that move, but a few hours later, this anger turned into intense anticipation.
Anthony Davis made his Mavs debut after missing the first few games after the trade with an abdominal strain, and the crowd was fired up about the newest Maverick playing in Dallas for the first time. Davis dominated in his debut for the first three quarters, but everything changed with just over two minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Davis went down while defending a pick and roll, and anyone in the arena could tell the injury was serious right away. It was a non-contact injury, which is usually a recipe for disaster, but Davis assured the media that the injury was not serious after the game.
Anthony Davis ramp ups activity as Mavs await crucial reevaluation
Fans' judgment ended up being exactly right, as it was reported that Davis would miss multiple weeks with an adductor strain, crushing all of the excitement about his amazing performance in his debut. This is exactly what the Mavericks didn't need from Davis in his first game with the team, but some good news is starting to float in.
The Mavericks announced that Davis will be reevaluated on March 6 along with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, and Davis gave an injury update of his own on Sunday.
Despite not being on the bench for any of Dallas' games since the injury, Davis traveled with the team for their game against the Golden State Warriors and got a pregame workout in on the floor. Davis was mostly shooting standstill jumpers, with some shots off the dribble, and while the workout was light, it was a sign that Davis was starting to ramp up some of his activity just over two weeks from when he suffered the adductor strain.
Anthony Davis is on the court for a light pregame workout. A sign of progress in his recovery from an adductor strain. pic.twitter.com/vttpRhtipZ
— Mike Curtis (@MikeACurtis2) February 23, 2025
While Jason Kidd didn't rule out the possibility of Davis needing surgery when asked about his recovery last week, he made it clear that we'll have a better idea of where he is at in his recovery next month when he is reevaluated. This day could end up making or breaking Dallas' season, as Davis being out for the year would destroy any chance of the team making the NBA Finals for the second year in a row. Starpower is invaluable in the playoffs, and not having their best player for the postseason would change everything.
While surgery is still possible, Dallas seems optimistic about the chance that Davis returns this season, and him beginning to travel with the team and continuing his rehab while on the road is a good sign. Mavericks fans are clawing for anything positive at this point of the season, and Davis getting in some on-court work over the last few days has been a bright spot in the middle of dark injury times for Dallas.