It wasn’t long before the Dallas Mavericks suffered their first significant injury from Anthony Davis, as ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday that Davis is expected to miss multiple weeks with a left adductor strain, an injury that he added could keep him out of action for a month.
Mavericks’ Anthony Davis to see extended absence with adductor strain
Davis suffered the injury during his Mavericks debut on Saturday, when he left the game late in the third quarter following a non-contact play that left him grimacing and clutching his groin area. Davis was having a tremendous Mavericks debut prior, as he had 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists, and three blocked shots.
The Mavericks, who have dealt with injury problems all season, will now have to proceed without their star acquisition for the immediate future. Davis was acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers last week along with guard Max Christie in a stunning trade that saw Luka Doncic head out of Dallas and into Los Angeles.
Injuries are no stranger to Davis, which is the main risk that came with making a move for him. The 31-year-old had missed his previous five games – three with the Lakers and two with the Mavericks – with an abdominal strain. Before that, he had done a solid job at maintaining good health as he did last season.
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Dallas will have to trek forward without Davis for the foreseeable future
Last season with the Lakers, Davis played in 76 games, which was the first time since the 2019-20 season that he appeared in at least 60 games. The hope for Dallas was that he would continue to stay healthy as they have set their sights on winning now, but they have already run into a road block.
In his absence, expect P.J. Washington to see some extended run at the four spot with Daniel Gafford manning the five. Dallas will have to rely much more on Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson to provide some scoring until Davis is healthy enough to return to the court.
The Mavericks have three more games before the All-Star break, starting with the Sacramento Kings on Monday.
