Mavericks can't risk repeating infamous Luka Doncic mistake with Anthony Davis

The Dallas Mavericks have been going through one of the roughest patches in franchise history over the past two weeks, as they traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 1 for Anthony Davis to kick it all off. This move made Mavericks fans furious, as they blindsided Doncic and everyone involved, and they punted on a generational superstar.

Before Dallas' first home game following the Doncic trade, fans held a protest outside of the American Airlines Center to voice their displeasure about the move, but within two hours of the protest beginning, Davis was on a mission to prove to Mavericks fans that he's a superstar as well.

Davis' promise to bring life back to the city aged beautifully, as he dominated the game right away. He ended up finishing with 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocks. He couldn't be stopped over the first three quarters of that game against the Houston Rockets, but his afternoon was cut short as he suffered a left adductor strain.

Davis is expected to miss multiple weeks due to this injury, and Dallas can't afford to make a mistake with his recovery that they often made with Doncic.

Why the Mavericks can't afford to rush Anthony Davis back

Doncic was known for always trying to get back as quickly as possible when recovering from injuries, as he hated missing time during his time with the Mavericks, but they can't afford to make that mistake with Davis. Doncic admitted to this in his Lakers introductory press conference, as he talked about how he finally took his time when recovering from that left calf strain, and Markieff Morris echoed that same sentiment when speaking to the media in Los Angeles.

"One of the only guys that I've been on the team with that will play through any injury if he can get on the court," Morris said of Doncic.

While Doncic's warrior mindset allowed him to play through countless injuries, most notably on Dallas' way to the NBA Finals last season, their injury management of Davis has to be a little bit different right now.

Another injury to Davis would undoubtedly end their season (if he were to be sidelined for the rest of the season), and they must be cautious about his recovery and rehab. Davis is the new face of the franchise, and regardless of where Dallas stands in the playoff race, they must remain calm and allow him to recover properly and only return when he is 100 percent healthy.

While injuries plagued his early time in Los Angeles, this season and last season have been much better when it comes to his availability. Davis played in a career-high 76 games last season, and he has played in 43 games this season. He was definitely taking a major step in the right direction when it comes to staying healthy, and although this adductor strain is a bump in the road when it comes to the Mavericks' road to making the playoffs, it's not over yet.

If Davis can take the right amount of time off and fully recover, he could return in time to help the Mavericks to build some momentum before the postseason begins. Immense pressure is going to be on Kyrie Irving's shoulders over the next few weeks, and if he can keep the Mavericks above water until Davis gets fully healthy and is ready to return then Dallas could shock some people in the playoffs.

The Mavericks looked like a powerhouse in the three quarters that Davis played on Saturday, and all hope is not lost. The time with Davis on the sideline will make or break the season because if they can't string some wins together while he's out, then it may end up being too late.