Anthony Davis leaves Maverick’s debut with non-contact damage after brilliant first half

Anthony Davis’ debut with Dallas Mavericks went as well as the team could have hoped until the end of the third quarter.

The great man, who was the primary return in the massively controversial Luka Dončić trade, left the game with a non-contact injury, apparently to his groin. He walked away from the field under his own power, but in clear discomfort.

Davis was later announced To be questionable to return with an lower body injury.

Until that time, 31-year-old Davis did a decent job of showing why Maverick’s Front Office thought he could replace Dončić as the franchise’s face. He left the game with 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks in 31 minutes, while Dallas led to fourth place in West 83-75.

He may have joined the franchise less than a week ago, but he still knew what to do on a pick and roll with Kyrie Irving.

However, Davis is no stranger to injury problems. He returned from an abdominal injury that forced him to miss five matches, and he has appeared in more than 56 games only once in the last five seasons.

Mavericks need Anthony Davis to be an instant superstar

Davis began his Maverick’s career under such a dark cloud as one would imagine for a player of his caliber. He is perhaps a 10-time all-star and Perennial defensive player of the year candidate, but he replaced a player six years younger than him who is largely considered one of the most valuable in the NBA, as well as a of the most beloved of their fanbase.

Dallas obviously felt an association with Dončić, and it was visible outside the American Airlines Center before the game, Mavs’ first since the trade was executed, Friday. Hordes of fans gathered outside the building to protest the move, sing and carry signs with most of their Ire aimed at Maverick’s general manager Nico Harrison.

Mavericks allegedly increased security in front of the game in anticipation of irregular fans, with Harrison also against death threats. Harrison has tried to explain the move as a necessary improvement in his team’s defense, while journalists pass on concerns about Dončić’s conditioning and upcoming contract extension, but the executive is still one of the most unpopular people in Dallas at the moment and probably for the foreseeable future .

It usually takes years to properly evaluate which team “won” a trade, but Mavericks is in the inevitable position by needing the move to train as soon as possible so they don’t lose even more fans. A significant Davis injury would not help there.