Mavericks' latest Anthony Davis nightmare traces straight back to Luka Doncic trade

It was always a gamble. I knew it. You knew it. Luka Doncic knew it. And deep down, Anthony Davis probably knew it too. This was the type of move that would make a seasoned bookie think twice. Nico Harrison pressed the red button and initiated the most mind-boggling trade in NBA history, and now the Dallas Mavericks are paying for it at the worst time.

Davis is an all-time talent when he’s fully engaged and healthy. But his ability to take his fans on an emotional rollercoaster is second to none. Anytime Davis winces on the court, the Dallas fans hold their bated breath praying that he’s ok. It’s gotten that bad.

Unfortunately, this nightmare has become a reality right in time for Halloween. And this is not a trick or a treat for the Dallas faithful. Davis limped off the court Wednesday night after suffering the ill effects of “bilateral Achilles tendinopathy”, meaning he was experiencing Achilles stiffness in both legs after just five regular-season games, and it seems like the left one is what was bothering him.

The risk in trading for Anthony Davis was always obvious

Davis came into training camp overweight after offseason eye surgery, so his trying to play himself into shape was the perfect storm for this injury to occur. He wasn’t able to ramp up properly. At the age of 32, and with his checkered injury history, he’s going to have to take a look at changing how he prepares his body for the grueling NBA season.

The Mavs were already trying to hold it together long enough for Kyrie Irving to come back and stop the bleeding. But Davis' possible prolonged absence could very well topple Dallas’ playoff hopes altogether. 

Cooper Flagg is a work in progress, D’Angelo Russell is still trying to find his footing, big men Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford are both nursing injuries, and Klay Thompson looks like he’s ready to retire at the All-Star break with how poorly he is shooting the basketball. Is it time to hit the panic button? 

Davis was supposed to be the one constant in this basketball flux. The anchor on offense and defense. The leader on the floor and in the locker room. But maybe this was never in his basketball DNA.

He seemed to flourish the best in New Orleans with his short-lived partnership with DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo. Both of whom have strong personalities. In Los Angeles, Davis was allowed to make moves under the radar and let LeBron James handle the brunt of the criticism. He was able to operate in the shadows and avoid the scrutiny that comes with being "the man."

This season was supposed to be Anthony Davis’s moment of validation. The perfect opportunity to show why Nico Harrison bet the house on him. This was his time to prove that he could be the alpha dog. But you have to be on the floor to make that happen.

Continuity matters. OKC thrived with this on the way to the championship last season. And we see what happens to a team when the star player is in and out of the lineup every year. Just look at the LA Clippers with Kawhi Leonard. Or the 76ers with Joel Embiid, who proudly proclaimed that he would no longer play back-to-backs. It disrupts the flow when there is no consistent rotation. Chemistry is nonexistent. It doesn’t work.

Harrison traded a 25-year-old prodigy just entering his prime for a 32-year-old player who may just be exiting his. Dallas wants to win now. But they may have mortgaged their future in the process. Mark Cuban is still miffed. Dirk Nowitzki is still processing. And Jason Kidd is asking the fans for patience during these trying times.

Somewhere in the ether, Luka Doncic is gazing towards Dallas with his signature smirk.

This isn’t what the Dallas front office envisioned. If those chants to fire Nico continue all season, you may just see a few heads roll like Sleepy Hollow.