Do the Dallas Mavericks Lose Out to LA in Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis Trade?
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 28 Feb 2025
Does Dallas Lose out to Los Angeles Lakers in the biggest mid-season trade that essentially shipped star guard Luke Doncic to LA for star bigman Anthony Davis?
It is premature to say though it figures.
Since the trade, the Mavericks are 4-3 in their last seven games while the Lakers are 5-2. But Doncic was able to see action in many of those games while Davis was mostly on sick bay.
Currently Dallas is precariously lodge at 9th position while LA is at fifth and even batting for top four in the West. It is the exact opposite of their standings heading to the wind up of the 2023-24 season.
Last season, Dallas, with Doncic greatly helped by the arrival of Kyrie Irving eventually ended up at fifth, and went all the way to become Western Conference champions, beating top ranking Minnesota and Oklahoma along the way. The Mavs lost a fighting series, 4-2 to eventual NBA champions Boston Celtics in the Finals.
In the process, Dallas topped the feat of LA who in the previous season progressed all the way up from being 7th seed to the Western Conference Finals where it lost to eventual NBA champions Denver Nuggets.
With the race for the last two slots in the playoffs in the West potentially turning out to be something of a March Madness, there's really no saying what the Dallas coaching staff is planning to do with the oft injured Davis. Is he really recuperating fully from his injuries or in the process being preserved and reserved for the final push to secure for Dallas one of the final slots in the forthcoming playoffs in the West?
The position currently of Dallas really is precarious with dangerous teams as new look Golden State and Sacramento as possibly rival in the play-in for the 7th or 8th playoff spot in the West. The Warriors have recently welcomed all around forward Jimmy Butler while seeing great improvements from center Trayce Jackson Davis complementing superstar Stephen Curry. The Kings meanwhile have two of the toughest big men in the league in Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valenciunas and reinforced by the versatile duo of Denmark Derozan and Zach Lavine.
Among Dallas's recent losses have been against the Warriors and the Lakers where Doncic ironically posted another career record versus his former team mates.
If it is any consolidation, Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson have been taking the cudgels for the Mavs with ex Lakers Max Christie consistently contributing. But other starters and regulars as PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford and Spencer Dinwiddle have to display more consistency in the absence of Davis. Top center Derrick Lively lll likewise has to show his fine form more both in offense and defense.
Most importantly, Anthony Davis has to show up more in uniform and prove that his coming to Dallas in exchange for Luka Doncic is something the Mavs front office will not regret.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Teodoro Medina Reynoso.
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