Tonight, the Mavericks went through a series of emotions. Ebbs and Flows. Following the heartbreaking Luka Doncic trade, the fans witnessed Anthony Davis for the first time in Mavs gear. It was a sensational debut, at least for the most part. He turned into a monster on both sides of the floor, recording 26 points, 16 rebounds and 3 blocks. It didn’t last longer either, as he sustained an injury late in the third quarter. While it shattered the fans’ hearts once again (obviously), AD made sure that he would end their day on a positive note.
So, what did he do? He didn’t just drop a relieving health update but also brought back hope with his playful antics and championship aspiration.
Firstly, AD looked the part in the Mavs uniform right from the tip-off. Above all, the camaraderie between the players seemed to have hit the sweet spot. We had a glimpse of it in the locker room as well. Right after the game, speaking of his lower body, the big man encouragingly said, “It’s nothing serious. I’m fine.” But the reporters in the room wanted to know more. They wanted to know if he believed that the roster could win the championship.
Of course, no one would deny that in front of the media, but Anthony Davis had a strong reason behind the answer. The 2020 champ pointed out the team’s defensive efforts in producing 18 blocks, only 5 short of the NBA record for most blocks. “Once we really get (the defensive scheme) down, it’s gonna be a problem for opposing teams. Just being able to guard defensively. We can’t control the ball going in every night, but we can lay our hats on defense. Defense has always won championships.”
Anthony Davis on if there were moments today that felt like Dallas could win a title:
“It’s not even the offensive end, it’s defensively. We had a record, first game, 18 blocks, we had none by Kyrie (jokingly)…Once we really get (the defensive scheme) down, it’s gonna be a… pic.twitter.com/0kDbZ5qft6
— Noah Weber (@noahweber00) February 9, 2025
While promising a championship was a strong message in itself, AD went the distance to legitimize Nico Harrison’s controversial Luka Doncic trade.
Anthony Davis puts Nico on top: No refunds needed
Nico Harrison is the most hated man in Texas. The Mavericks GM pulled out one of the toughest decisions in the Mavs’ franchise history. It can go only two ways. It will be either the boldest decision in NBA history or the biggest blunder that mankind has ever known. It’s safe to say that the Mavs fans haven’t gotten over Luka Doncic’s loss.
However, Anthony Davis wanted to make sure that Nico pulled the boldest decision ever. Guess what? A healthy Brow can definitely help the fans get over the loss. Anyway, let’s find out how AD legitimized Nico. Speaking about the GM’s decision to pull off this roster, he said, ” I believe in our team. I believe in our group. We weren’t even cause we still missing Caleb and DP, so once we get 100 percent healthy, I just know what we’re capable of if we lock in and do what we’re supposed to do.”
Davis seemed more confident than ever before. It seemed like he had control over a team for the first time. All these years, he was under the shadow of LeBron James. Now that he has become a leader of the Mavs, can he do the unthinkable? Let us know in the comments.
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