The Dallas Mavericks are not going to see the benefits of acquiring Anthony Davis anytime soon. The big man injured his groin in his debut for the franchise against the Houston Rockets. The Mavericks have intentionally not revealed an exact timeline for Davis’ return, with Shams Charania sharing a vague injury update.
“Anthony Davis, the biggest of them all. The Mavericks will have a cautious rehab for AD. I am told the expectation is that Davis will need rehab for coming weeks on his adductor injury.”
Reporting for @SportsCenter on the latest around Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis: pic.twitter.com/VW1g2731O8
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 11, 2025
They didn’t reveal anything outside Davis needing rehab for weeks, which is a very misleading way to share this information. Even the doctor says season-ending surgery might be on the cards for Davis, but the Mavericks don’t dare to tell the fans right now given the massive fan backlash against the team and its decision-makers.
Davis isn’t the only big man to have suffered an injury. Last night, Daniel Gafford suffered a knee sprain in the Mavericks OT loss to the Sacramento Kings. Gaff has been confirmed to miss the next two weeks, leaving a massive hole in the Mavs’ frontline.
“Daniel Gafford sustained a right knee sprain during the February 10 game against the Kings. Gafford will be re-evaluated within two weeks.”
Davis and Gafford joining the injury list is arguably one of the worst possible outcomes for the Mavericks. They traded backup bigs like Markieff Morris and Maxi Kleber (who was also injured) to the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Luka Doncic. Despite having four full-time centers on their roster, the Mavericks are in this position.
Dereck Lively II has been injured since the start of 2025 with a knee injury of his own, whereas seldom-playing veteran center Dwight Powell is also sidelined with a hip injury at the moment.
These injuries will likely lead to the Mavericks not having many options to start at center for the next few weeks. It might be PJ Washington with Naji Marshall, Dante Exum, and Max Christie alongside Kyrie Irving in a starting five. The Mavericks have two-way center Kylor Kelley as an option but he is far too rough. To make things worse, even Washington is currently sidelined with injury.
The only other options are sophomore forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Kessler Edwards. Prosper is currently the third/fourth choice power forward on the roster. Edwards could also be relied upon to provide athleticism and size in the position, already starting multiple games for the Mavericks this season as their power forward.
The team’s injury list has been almost fully occupied all season. If they stuck with their roster, players like Doncic would’ve been available to keep them competitive. But now, Kyrie Irving will have to single-handedly carry the 28-26 team’s offense and ensure they’re still competing for the Playoffs while the big men heal up.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
