The NBA landscape is a volatile one, constantly shifting with trades, injuries, and the ever-present drama surrounding its biggest stars. In a recent seismic move, Anthony Davis, a player widely considered one of the best power forwards the game has ever seen, found himself at the center of a controversial trade to the Mavericks. This acquisition was meant to signal a new era of dominance, a definitive step towards championship contention. Yet, as the new season approaches, a disquieting narrative has begun to emerge, one that casts a long shadow over Davis’s immediate future and the wisdom of the Mavericks’ audacious gamble.

Davis, despite his undeniable talent, has long carried an “Achilles heel” in the eyes of the public: his propensity for injuries. It’s a problem that has plagued not just him, but a significant portion of the NBA, leading to a “missing stars problem” as Yahoo Sports recently highlighted. Last season alone, the league witnessed a tragic parade of sidelined luminaries: Damian Lillard tearing his Achilles against the Pacers, Jayson Tatum suffering the same fate in the Eastern semifinals, Tyrese Haliburton’s Achilles rupture in the NBA finals, and even Steph Curry battling a hamstring strain. These aren’t minor setbacks; they are game-changers, altering the course of series and shaping the destinies of franchises. Davis, unfortunately, has been a central figure in this “injury epidemic,” earning him derisive nicknames like “Anthony Day-to-Day Davis” and Charles Barkley’s now infamous “Street Clothes” moniker. Barkley’s blunt assessment resonates deeply with a frustrated fanbase: “They can’t win this series, forget about the championship, they can’t win this series without street clothes.” It’s a harsh truth, but one that underscores the very real concerns surrounding Davis’s reliability.

The trade that brought Davis to the Mavericks was, from its inception, fraught with skepticism. Nico Harrison, the architect of the deal, seemingly chose to overlook Davis’s extensive injury history, a decision many deemed impossible to justify. The irony is particularly stark when considering the player he replaced: Luka Dončić. Harrison, in what can only be described as a baffling PR campaign, immediately began tearing down Dončić while elevating Davis as the franchise’s savior. This was an unfair burden placed on Davis, forcing him into an impossible role, measured against a standard he could never meet, and thrown into a situation he didn’t choose. Davis was never Luka Dončić, and he should have never had to be him. He is, and always has been, arguably the best second option in the association.

Harrison’s rationale for the trade was rooted in a belief that “defense wins championships” and that acquiring an “all-defensive center and an all-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance.” He asserted that the team was “built to win now and in the future.” This perspective, however, came with a highly controversial backdrop. Tim McMahan reported that the Mavericks had “significant reservations about committing long-term to Luka Dončić due to ongoing concerns about his conditioning,” leading to their hesitation in offering him a supermax extension. This questionable decision-making continues to unravel, looking worse with each passing day.

The analogy used to describe this trade perfectly encapsulates the perceived misstep: Harrison traded a “brand new luxury SUV capable of carrying a lot of people for an older heavyweight motorcycle.” While the motorcycle – Davis – is a “great build, still a beast,” it “starts showing some serious signs of wear and tear,” while the “car” – Dončić – “gets souped up and somehow keeps climbing in value.” Time, as Harrison once said, would tell if he was right. And time is indeed telling a very different story.

Luka Dončić, now with the Lakers, has fully embraced a “lifestyle overhaul,” appearing slimmer, fitter, and more committed than ever before, recently signing a long-term deal. Meanwhile, Anthony Davis’s tenure with the Mavericks has been marred by a familiar foe: injuries. He has appeared in just nine regular-season games, battling a litany of ailments, including an offseason eye injury dating back to last season. At one point, Mark Stein even reported that his status for opening night was uncertain. The thought of Davis missing the season opener sent shivers down the spines of Mavericks fans, a testament to the pain his absence would inflict.

A fresh update on Davis’s detached retina, a serious injury by any measure, confirms he has been cleared to play after undergoing surgery. However, he plans to wear protective goggles this season, and possibly for the remainder of his career. While this may invoke the classic Kareem Abdul-Jabbar look, the circumstances are far from ideal. And here lies the real irony: Davis appears to have added “noticeable weight this offseason,” sparking concerns among fans that he may be out of shape. The possibility of Anthony Davis grappling with the same conditioning issues that reportedly drove Luka Dončić out of town is a cruel twist of fate, a narrative so absurd it feels like a “Lakers heist movie where LA somehow always gets away with the loot.”

Official training camp numbers confirm the noticeable weight gain, listing Davis at 268 pounds – a full 15 pounds heavier than his reported weight at last season’s Lakers camp. Yet, Davis himself appears unconcerned. He attributes the weight gain to his offseason regimen, stating, “I feel good. I’m kind of almost going to every season, ’cause I put on so much weight in the summer. And then by time, you know, like November come, like 255 and 258. So I never want to come in at my plan weight, ’cause then I lose weight during the season and I’m too small. So I try to go, I lose about 10 to 12 pounds like very quickly during camp. I already lost 5 pounds like all the running and playing. So I’m never concerned about that. I feel great, moving great, so I feel good.”

While Davis dismisses the extra pounds, pundits like Kendrick Perkins are less forgiving. Perkins openly voiced his disappointment, stating he expected Davis “to arrive locked in, lean, and ready to make a statement.” He questioned the strategy, highlighting the example Davis sets for rookie Cooper Flag, the team’s number one pick, the tough Western Conference, and Davis’s role as “that guy on this team right now.” Perkins’s sentiment is clear: “You need to come into camp in shape. I’m very disappointed or a little disappointed in Anthony Davis, ’cause I think he, I thought he would come in and have his and be on a mission this upcoming season.”

While some observed Davis looking “slightly bigger than usual” in photos, it wasn’t a universal “red flag.” At the time these criticisms surfaced, the Mavericks hadn’t even tipped off their first preseason game. As the video points out, if Davis had a “consistent history or really any history of conditioning problems,” the worry would be understandable. However, it’s argued that this isn’t likely to become a trend or impact him deep into the season, as he “surely strikes me as somebody that can definitely drop weight like it’s nothing.”

Theo Pinson provided a crucial dose of perspective, explaining the severity of Davis’s detached retina: “Retina was detached, guys. That means his retina was detached. He could not do anything for like, I would assume, two to three months. He’s going to be out of shape. He can’t sweat.” Pinson, drawing on his own experience with a simpler eye surgery, emphasized the restrictions: “You can’t do physical anything for like two and a half, three weeks, ’cause you can’t sweat because everything… you’re literally taking a laser to your eye… His is worse. His, I just got surgery to see better. He just got surgery to save his eye. To save his eye. So this is a whole different ball game. I don’t give a damn if I do get fat, I want to be able to see for real, you know what I’m saying? He’s going to gain weight because you literally can’t do anything. You can’t lift. You can’t, you just can’t sweat. So that’s why he’s getting into playing shape now. He’ll be fine and the mass will be fine, it’ll be fine. You need about a couple weeks, yeah.”

It’s a compelling argument: it’s difficult to fault a player for gaining a few pounds when recovering from serious surgery that prohibits physical exertion and sweating. Many NBA players have shown up in worse shape without such a compelling excuse. This sentiment, coming from a Pelicans fan with every reason not to root for Davis, carries particular weight, acknowledging the lingering resentment in New Orleans over his departure.

Perhaps this added weight could even be a blessing in disguise. If Davis were to keep it on, it might finally compel him to embrace the center position he has “spent his whole career avoiding like the plague.” Even with Derek Lively and Daniel Gafford already on the roster, injuries are a constant threat. Some teams, like the speaker’s beloved Pelicans, seem “cursed” when it comes to injuries, and the Mavericks appear to be in a similar boat. The prospect of Anthony Davis and Derek Lively pairing up alongside Cooper Flag – a player lauded for his “size, athleticism, and non-stop motor” – is an exciting one, offering a glimpse of the defensive powerhouse Harrison envisions.

The NBA, in its comedic irony, often serves up such paradoxes: “Luka and Zion drop a few pounds and everybody’s handing out golden stars, meanwhile Anthony Davis, the last guy you would expect to be in this conversation, is getting roasted for doing the exact opposite.” This sentiment captures the essence of the unfolding drama. While concerns are valid, the context of Davis’s recent injury and recovery is paramount. The coming season will be a true test, not just of Anthony Davis’s resilience and commitment, but of the Mavericks’ audacious gamble and their championship aspirations. All eyes will be on him, and the basketball universe awaits the next chapter in this unfolding saga.