Mavericks' new Anthony Davis strategy is one Nico Harrison would've despised

Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis missed his seventh straight game last night against the Phoenix Suns with a left calf strain. Dallas' approach to how they handle his injury and impending return to the floor is something that Nico Harrison would've hated if he were still around, and Mavericks fans should be thankful that Patrick Dumont is putting his foot down and being a voice of reason within the organization.

According to ESPN's Tim MacMahon, "Patrick Dumont has requested medical data indicating that Anthony Davis is not at risk of aggravating his left calf strain before giving a green light for the 10-time All-Star big man to return." Despite Harrison trying to rush Davis back for two recent games, dating back to the Mavericks' game against the Washington Wizards last Saturday night and their game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday, Dumont is being extremely cautious with Davis' injury management.

Dumont wants to be 100 percent certain that Davis is fully healthy and won't get re-injured before he even sniffs the court again this season, and no one can blame him. Davis has only played in 14 of the possible 42 games so far in his Mavericks tenure, and they're doing whatever they can to give this number a chance to improve.

Nico Harrison would be furious with losing control

This is undoubtedly a genius move by Dumont, especially considering Davis' injury history, as one wrong move could've resulted in a torn Achilles if he returned too soon. This is a concern that the Mavericks' medical team voiced to Dumont and Harrison, but Harrison still wanted his former prized big man to return to the hardwood.

Dumont joined the decision-making process with Davis and his return to the court when they played the Wizards on Saturday, and this alone was a sign that Harrison's reign as the head honcho in Dallas was quickly coming to an end. Harrison himself admitted that he is stubborn and doesn't like being told what to do, and he would hate Dumont's cautious approach with Davis.

People who opposed Harrison's views were often pushed out, and this trend continued in Dallas until he lost his power and was overruled. Davis and his camp were ready for him to return to the court, and Harrison backed him in this desire.

Harrison wanted Davis back on the court despite the risk that came with it, and he had a similar mindset when Luka Doncic strained his calf last season. Doncic ended up getting his way and underwent a longer recovery timeline than Harrison and the Mavericks desired, but it's clear that Harrison seemed more in favor of speedy recoveries than careful ones.

If Harrison hadn't been on such thin ice with the Mavericks this season, his push of Davis to play could've even come to fruition, and fans should be thankful that his efforts were overruled. Harrison's fall from grace is one of the craziest sagas in NBA history, and with him gone, things are going to be different in Dallas.

On and off the court.