The Mavericks may be without Anthony Davis once again. After missing eight straight games with a left calf strain, the All-Star big man has officially been listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Portland Trail Blazers.
“The Mavericks’ Anthony Davis, who has missed eight consecutive games with a left calf strain, has been listed as doubtful for Sunday’s game against visiting Portland,” reported Marc Stein. “Davis had been listed as questionable going into Dallas’ past few games.”
Davis is not the only injured Maverick, but his continued absence is taking a serious toll. With Kyrie Irving gone and Klay Thompson struggling, Davis was expected to be the anchor for this year’s squad. Instead, he has not played since late October and the uncertainty surrounding his return has left the team frustrated and scrambling.
The 32-year-old big man has appeared in just five games this season. He was making progress toward a return this week and was listed as questionable for Friday’s matchup against the Clippers. At that time, Dallas wanted to leave the door open for a potential return. It obviously did not happen, and it is starting to feel like he may need more time than originally expected.
The downgrade in status suggests Davis is not as close to playing as hoped, and the Mavericks will likely have to move forward without him again. It is another major setback for a team that has started the season 3-10 and is quickly losing ground in the Western Conference.
Davis was supposed to help validate the Luka Doncic trade and bring some consistency back to Dallas. Instead, his availability has been sparse, and his absence is being felt across the board.
Statistically, Davis is averaging 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game on 52.0 percent shooting. When healthy, he is still one of the most impactful bigs in the league, but the problem is staying on the court.
Amid a disastrous start to the season, the Mavericks are in a state of disarray. The front office has already moved on from GM Nico Harrison, the fanbase is growing restless, and team governor Patrick Dumont is reportedly feeling regret over the decision to move on from Doncic.
Meanwhile, the rest of the roster is fighting to stay afloat. With over 60 games left to play, there is time to turn things around, but Dallas will need Davis to be a steady presence moving forward.
Given his injury history, no one expects Davis to play all 82 games. But if he can stay relatively healthy from this point on, he could still salvage the season. A big return could be on the horizon, but the longer he stays out, the deeper the hole gets for Dallas.
If Kyrie and Davis can get healthy and find a rhythm together, there is still time to salvage what’s left of the season. But with every loss, the window gets smaller and the pressure grows. The Mavericks are running out of chances, and they can’t afford to keep waiting for Anthony Davis to show up.
