After a gritty win over the defending champion Denver Nuggets, the Dallas Mavericks are starting to find their rhythm again - and they’re about to get a major boost. Big man Anthony Davis, who’s been working his way back from a calf injury, is officially off the injury report ahead of Wednesday’s matchup against the Miami Heat. That’s a green light the Mavs will gladly take.
Davis has already made a couple of appearances since returning from a 14-game absence, and his impact is hard to miss. He first rejoined the lineup during Dallas’ loss to the Lakers last Friday, a game that also marked his first return to Crypto.com Arena as an opponent since last season’s blockbuster trade involving Luka Doncic. In that outing, Davis looked a bit like a player shaking off the rust - 12 points, five boards, five dimes, and three blocks - but even in limited minutes, his presence was felt on both ends.
The Mavericks chose to sit Davis the following night in their back-to-back against the Clippers, a smart move considering the cautious approach they’ve taken with his calf. But when he returned to the floor against Denver on Monday, he reminded everyone just how dominant he can be when healthy.
Davis poured in 32 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, dished out four assists, and added a steal and two blocks - all in just 28 minutes. That’s the kind of stat line that doesn’t just help you win games - it changes the ceiling of your team.
Before the injury, Davis had only played in five games to start the season. Now, with seven appearances under his belt and averaging around 30 minutes per game, the numbers are starting to stack up.
He’s putting up 21.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game. Efficiency-wise, he’s shooting 53.7% from the field, 31.3% from three, and 75% at the line - solid splits that speak to both his versatility and his ability to impact the game in multiple ways.
For Dallas, this is more than just getting a star player back. Davis gives them a defensive anchor, a secondary scoring option next to Doncic, and a matchup nightmare for opposing bigs. As they prepare to face a physical, well-coached Miami Heat squad, having Davis at full strength could be the difference between a tough grind and a statement win.
The Mavericks are trending upward, and with Davis healthy, they’re looking more and more like a team that’s ready to make some real noise in the West.