Jason Kidd Preaches “Next Man Up” Mentality as Mavericks Suffer Due to Anthony Davis’ Injury

It has been less than a year since Anthony Davis joined the Dallas Mavericks in a trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. When he has played, he has been excellent. The problem is that Davis has barely been on the floor, with new injuries hitting the big man almost every month. Amid that, head coach Jason Kidd has insisted that there is no single solution to the issue.

Davis is no slouch. He’s been one of the NBA’s best big men when fit and established himself, first as a star in New Orleans, before winning the championship with the Lakers. But injuries have always put a question mark over the value he brings to the side.

After dealing with a groin problem, detached retina, and strained calf, Davis has now hurt the ligament in his hand. He’s expected to miss time, and Kidd has urged that the whole of the Mavericks roster has to step up in his absence.

“We’re not looking to replace AD. It’s got to be a group effort – the next man up,” said Kidd in a recent interview shared on X.

This basically means that Kidd is seeing the situation in a “team is bigger than any individual” way. And it makes sense. There’s no point in dwelling over AD’s injury when the Mavs are fighting for their lives to get a taste of post-season basketball action. So, instead of thinking who can replace him, Kidd wants to rely on the Mavericks’ depth and ability to adapt.

“We’ll miss AD while he is out, but we’ve had injuries this season, so this isn’t something new,” the Mavericks head coach added.

To be fair, the Mavericks started the 2025/26 season with arguably their team’s best player out to a long-term injury. Kyrie Irving tore his ACL last season, and was expected to miss the entirety of this season. He may return towards the end. But the Mavericks need to make sure there’s meaningful basketball for the legendary point-guard to play.

For now, in terms of stars carrying the team, the ball is on rookie Cooper Flagg’s court. He’s been exemplary this campaign, especially for an 18-year-old and now has a good chance to establish himself as the franchise’s face.