Dallas Mavericks star forward Anthony Davis will miss another 7-10 days at the least as he continues to recover from a left calf strain.
Davis sat out his ninth consecutive game Sunday night as the Mavericks faced off against the Portland Trail Blazers. The 10-time All-Star is being held out as a precautionary measure mandated by team owner/governor Patrick Dumont until he has medical data confirming that Davis is not at risk of re-injury.
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“He wants to be out there to help us,” Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said. “But this gives him seven to 10 days to get better or to get stronger. Hopefully, in seven to 10 days, he’s back on the floor.”
The five-time All-NBA and All-Defensive selection hasn’t been in the Mavericks’ lineup since Oct. 29, when he played just under seven minutes and scored four points in a win over Indiana, 107-105. Davis was aiming for a return date of Nov. 8 until that idea was overruled by Dumont.
Dallas’ director of health urged a cautious approach to clearing Davis regardless of what his personal medical staff advises. Davis’ personal medical staff was added to the Mavericks’ payroll this season. The primary concern regarding the injury is Davis potentially rupturing his Achilles tendon if he returns too soon.
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Indiana witnessed this first-hand in the NBA Finals in June, when star guard Tyrese Haliburton played on a calf strain that eventually led to a ruptured Achilles in Game 7 of the series. Davis has played in just 14 games (plus a couple of play-in appearances) since being traded from Los Angeles to Dallas as part of the Luka Dončić deal last season. That trade was, of course, the catalyst in the recent firing of former Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison.
On Sunday night, Dallas won its first game since parting ways with Harrison, beating the Blazers 138-133 in overtime. Seven Mavs scored in double figures, including rookie Cooper Flagg and P.J. Washington who each led Dallas (4-10) with 21 points.
After the trade from Los Angeles, Davis ended up returning too soon and suffered an adductor strain in a home game against the Houston Rockets. That injury caused him to miss an additional six weeks of action. Dumont is looking to avoid any further setbacks for his 32-year-old star.
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In five games this season, Davis has averaged a double double posting 20.8 points and 10.2 rebounds while shooting 52% from the field.
