Mavericks must avoid dangerous Anthony Davis risk as Lakers lurk

Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis hears the whispers and the critics. He felt the impetus from the Los Angeles Lakers’ front office when they shipped him to Dallas. And he would love nothing more than to make a triumphant return from his calf strain this Friday against a streaking Lakers team. But the risk might not be worth the reward.

If Davis is healthy enough to play? Great.

But the Lakers and Luka Doncic can’t be the only reason he’s coming back. Dallas and Davis have to think big picture, and rushing him back is the last thing that they need right now.

Davis is set to be re-evaluated at some point soon, likely before they leave for Los Angeles for a back-to-back against the Lakers and LA Clippers, and they must be strategic about his quickly approaching return. He was upgraded to doubtful for Dallas' game on Monday, which is a sign of life, and the nature of it all is that he could be eyeing a comeback against Doncic and the Lakers.

Mavericks must be strategic with Anthony Davis as Lakers loom

Things have gone off the rails quickly for Dallas this season. And Davis is at the epicenter of it all. Kyrie Irving’s extended absence was to be expected as he recovers from last season’s ACL injury. But Davis was supposed to be the pillar on offense and defense that Dallas could depend upon while rookie sensation Cooper Flagg acclimated himself to the rigors of NBA basketball.

Everything has gone wrong, and Davis likely wants to make things right. He’s a competitor. But he’s also human. Since being traded to Dallas, he’s played only 14 of 44 possible games, and his 20.8 points per game this year is the lowest output of his career since his second year in the league with the New Orleans Pelicans. Also, his 1.2 blocks per game this season is the lowest of his career.

Davis was still working himself into game shape when the season started, and his early-season calf strain injury might be the result of not being in tip-top shape. He’s been injury-prone for quite some time. But the ends usually justify the means. Now? It seems that Dallas may have acquired an Anthony Davis who is unceremoniously exiting his prime. They can’t risk his calf strain becoming a more severe injury, such as an Achilles tear. Davis has a history of trying to play through injuries. Davis reportedly tried to play after straining his adductor in his first game as a Maverick, and this caused him to miss a significant amount of time.

Co-interim general managers Michael Finley and Matt Riccardi are tasked with brainstorming how the franchise moves forward in the aftermath of the Nico Harrison debacle. If trading Davis is the way to go, they can’t risk him coming back too quickly or overexerting himself just to prove a point to his former team.

The Mavericks front office has put on a brave front for the future. Mark Cuban has stated that Dallas wants to win now and won’t be trading Davis. They want to see how Kyrie Irving and Cooper Flagg mesh and what their Big 3 can do together on the court. But when will that happen?

Dallas doesn’t have a lot to work with in the long term. They have one first-round draft pick in 2026, and then they don’t fully control their first-round picks until 2031. That means every move now has to be very strategic.

Sadly, Dereck Lively II is proving to be as injury-prone as they come, as he is due to miss even more time with his surgically repaired right foot. This puts more pressure on Daniel Gafford, who only just returned in early November after battling an ankle sprain before the season began. So Dallas must approach the Davis situation with extreme caution. They need Davis to return fully healthy, with no restrictions. And they need him to be the two-way juggernaut who impacts the game on both ends. But patience is a virtue. And Dallas needs Davis to be the most virtuous of them all.

All eyes will be on Dallas for their first game of the season against the Lakers on Friday, and Davis should only return for this game if he is 110 percent healthy and the risk of reinjury is low. Davis has something to prove to the league, especially the Lakers, but this can wait until he is ready to play.