Injury woes continue to hurt the Dallas Mavericks. Once again, Anthony Davis is dealing with an ailment, and he’s already missed one game because of it.
Now, with Jason Kidd’s team squaring off against the Houston Rockets in Mexico City, he’s not going to take the court on Monday night, either.
What Happened to Anthony Davis?
Davis left the Mavs’ game against the Indiana Pacers in the first quarter and didn’t return. Per ESPN insider Dave McMenamin, he’s dealing with a left calf strain:
“Dallas Mavericks star power forward/center Anthony Davis will miss at least two games after an MRI revealed a low grade left calf strain, the team announced Friday evening,” McMenamin wrote.
While this isn’t believed to be a serious injury, the Mavs have already ruled him out of Monday night’s game, and he will be re-evaluated once the team is back home:
“Davis will be re-evaluated after the Mavericks’ return from a road trip to Mexico City, where they will play the Detroit Pistons and the Houston Rockets,” he added.
Davis also wanted to clear the air on the severity of the ailment, and he wanted the fans to be assured that it wasn’t anything serious:
“It is going to be day to day,” Davis said. “But I feel better that is for sure.”
The Mavs got PF/C Daniel Gafford back on the floor for the 122-110 loss to the Detroit Pistons. Jason Kidd will have to rely heavily on him on Monday night as well, as Dereck Lively II is also out with a knee injury.
The Mavericks entered the season with high hopes and expectations, but they’re just 2-4 after six games. Of course, getting past a physical Houston Rockets team without two of their starting frontcourt players and rim protector will be way easier said than done.
Through the first five games of the season, the former No. 1 pick averaged 20.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game on 52% from the floor.
The former Los Angeles Lakers star is still one of the best defensive players in the game, and given all the Mavs gave up to get him, they desperately need him back on the court.
Even so, given his long history of injuries, they might want to err on the side of caution with him, even if that means having him sit out a couple of games. The NBA season is a marathon and a long grind, and they need him to be healthy when it matters the most.