Luka Doncic and the Los Angeles Lakers have hogged the majority of the headlines over the past week, and understandably so. But the Dallas Mavericks have done some good business, adding to their roster with Anthony Davis and Max Christie. AD unfortunately hasn’t been able to make his Mavs debut because of an abdominal injury he sustained vs 76ers during the Lakers’ Grammy road trip.
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After a morale-boosting win against the defending champion Boston Celtics a couple of days ago, the Mavs are getting ready to host the Houston Rockets, who are on a 4 game losing skid. AD’s name is once again on the home team’s injury report, and he was listed as probable after the abdominal strain he suffered a week ago.
However, there is hope for the Mavs faithful. Despite the injury report’s status, Davis has told the media that he will be making his debut in Dallas against their cross-state rivals.
Anthony Davis (abdominal) said he'll make Mavs debut on Saturday.
— Underdog NBA (@Underdog__NBA) February 7, 2025
Not only will he finally step onto the court in Dallas blue, but he will reportedly be playing at the 4, which he’s reiterated he wants to return to. The Mavericks’ double center pairing of Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford allows AD this luxury.
Davis at the 4 has historically been a very difficult player to guard. His size and skill set make it difficult for teams to rely on their wings to contain him. They are forced to put their big man on him, and even then, it’s not a guaranteed stop.
Another thing Mavs fans will be looking forward to is the duo he forms with Kyrie Irving. With Doncic no longer on the team, the role of the primary ball handler and creator falls to the wily veteran, and so far he hasn’t disappointed. In the 2 games he’s played since the trade, Irving has averaged 26.5 points on nearly 47% from the floor.
Fans would be waiting with bated breath to see the 10x All-Star step foot on the court as a Maverick. Davis, on the other hand, would look to dazzle the Dallas audience in his debut.
