Anthony Davis came to the Dallas Mavericks in what's known as the most controversial trade in NBA history. While Mavs fans were flabbergasted about Luka Doncic leaving their city for the Los Angeles Lakers, they thought more would've come out of the trade, like Austin Reaves, but that never happened as Dallas only netted Davis, Max Christie, and a first-round pick.
Anthony Davis made a key preference earlier in the season that he believed would change his career for the better: Play the four while he's on the court. Davis prefers to play the four because of his ability to roam on defense while avoiding the wear and tear of playing the five. With Davis set to turn 33 next March, his demands could eventually become a liability for the future if he eventually slows down. Previous injuries have been a concern already, and if he suffers another lower-body injury, his lateral quickness will decrease more.
He's got the perfect team to back him up, with Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford being more than capable of manning the center position. Davis is at a point in his career where he's earned the right to ask for what he wants. The same Davis that Mavs fans see now is much different from the one we saw back in 2020, but it might not matter what position he plays because of his demands and injury history.
Anthony Davis playing the four could come back to bite Dallas in the end
This is exactly what Mavs fans were worried about.
When Davis went down in the first three quarters of his Mavs' debut against the Houston Rockets, it was the nightmare that everybody pretty much expected; they just didn't expect it to happen so fast. He was dominating in his debut and almost made fans forget who Doncic was just for a bit.
Davis playing the four suits him best at this point in his career, and he's earned the right to play whatever role he wants to play. The only issue is that age could play a factor down the line if he can actually sustain playing at the four. Although he's increased his perimeter shooting through the years, it takes a toll on a big guy trying to play like a guard. Davis might soon reach the point in his career where it might be too much for him to take on playing the four.
For now, he excels at switching on defense and defending almost any forward, but at some points last season he seemed much slower when defending outside than usual. This could've been due to his adductor injury that he suffered back in February, but he wasn't the same Davis that NBA fans are used to watching.
Mavs fans were already upset about the Doncic trade, specifically because more pieces weren't involved going Dallas' way. Specifically, Reaves has been pointed out as another guy who should've been a Maverick. Even though Christie is by far in his peak as we speak, other GMs around the league know how important Doncic has been to the Mavericks.
Davis might be just the championship piece that the Mavericks needed, but nonetheless, he's a short-term project while Doncic was their entire future. A Mavericks championship may solve the stain of the Doncic trade, but if they don't win with Davis, Nico Harrison and Patrick Dumont are never going to hear the end of it.
