Anthony Davis' NBA ranking exposes 1 thing Nico Harrison was actually right about

The Dallas Mavericks are over one month removed from one of the wildest games of the season, as Anthony Davis made his Mavs debut on February 8 against the Houston Rockets. This was a surreal day, as it was the first home game after the Luka Doncic trade, but the vibes inside the American Airlines Center were immaculate regardless of the pain that the fan base was feeling with Doncic being a Laker.

It felt like a playoff game at the AAC on that Saturday afternoon, and Davis did not disappoint in his debut. He finished with 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks while shooting 10-18 from the field and 2-2 from downtown.

There was nothing that Davis couldn't do in that game, and while fans still missed Doncic tremendously, he helped take their minds off of him for the 31 minutes he was on the floor. While Davis' debut was cut short due to an adductor injury, he showed Mavericks fans that he is a superstar as well, and a recent NBA ranking proves that Nico Harrison was right about one part of the Davis trade.

Anthony Davis remains a superstar despite trade doubts

In FanSided's NBA 99 which ranks the top 99 players in the league, Davis was No. 9 on the list, proving that he remains one of the best bigs in the NBA, regardless of how one-sided Dallas' trade to get him was. Davis has honestly become underrated over the last few seasons, and these rankings gave him the respect he deserves.

Harrison envisions Dallas' frontcourt with Davis at the helm alongside Daniel Gafford or Dereck Lively II being similar to the dominance that Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen have down low for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he called Davis "one of the best two-way players in the league," early into the press conference that the Mavs held in Cleveland the morning after the trade went down.

"A lot of people don't talk about what he does defensively and offensively," Harrison said of Davis. "If you can name First Team All-NBA players who are also First Team All-Defensive players, that's a unique unicorn to try to find, and we were able to find that."

Harrison is confident in what Davis can bring to the floor in Dallas, and Mavericks fans should be too. Davis has not gotten as much recognition as he deserves recently, and he'll be ready to show Mavericks fans just how great he can be when he is healthy and on the floor.

Davis is undoubtedly one of the best defenders in the NBA, as he provides elite rim protection and versatility, but his offensive game can't get overlooked either. He averages 24.2 points per game for his career, and his post scoring and face-up game are extremely hard to stop. Davis is extremely difficult to stop in the paint, and Mavs fans will learn that quickly.

It remains unknown if Davis will play again this season, but when he does return from his injury, he'll be ready to prove how elite of a player he truly is. Davis is extremely confident in his skills, and he is ready to instill some energy back into the franchise as he understands what Doncic meant to the city and the fan base.

Davis believes he is a superstar player, just like Doncic, and FanSided's NBA 99 shows just that. His success can't be undermined, and he'll have a chance to lead the Mavericks back to the promised land once he returns to the floor.