Anthony Davis has been motivated to prove to the Dallas Mavericks‘ faithful that he’s not a bad option to have in place of Luka Doncic. While the fanbase will struggle to give Davis the love a player of his caliber deserves, it seems Davis will do everything he can to make sure these fans acknowledge his value as well.
After pushing to return early from the groin strain he suffered in his Mavericks’ debut, Davis spoke to the media about his motivation to return as quickly as possible. He made it clear the team intends to hold on to their current seed and compete in the Play-In tournament.
“I’m not the one to throw in the towel and sit down. I felt good enough to play. We got goals in mind. Even though we are undermanned, not 100% healthy. Guys are coming back, Live and Gaff, I want to make sure I have rhythm if we are able to get in the play-in.”
Davis put up 12 points (7-12 FG), six rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block in the 120-101 win over the Brooklyn Nets. It looked like an incredibly easy win with Davis’ return making the Mavericks look like a competent defensive team for the first time in months.
His return could give the Mavericks enough momentum to hold onto the No. 10 seed ahead of the chasing Phoenix Suns.
Davis is averaging 25.4 points, 11.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 2.1 blocks on the season, so we know there’s some elite two-level play he can contribute to the incredible injury-riddled Mavericks right now.
Kyrie Irving, Olivier-Maxence Propser, and Dante Exum are expected to be ruled out for the rest of the regular season. Caleb Martin hasn’t been healthy since joining Dallas and will continue missing time. However, the center-core of the franchise with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford is expected to return soon as well to continue their winning push.
Many fans would argue that it’s better to let Davis rest this season, as many had expected would happen, and push for winning next year. Even with Kyrie tearing his ACL, the Mavericks hope that relying on Davis to be their No. 1 option can bear some short-term benefits.
Next season is the one to keep an eye out for in Dallas. But, at least the fans will have a reason to smile as they watch a defensive terror like Davis play as the lead option to end the 24-25 season in Dallas and potentially take them back to the Playoffs.
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.
