Dallas Mavericks fans are finally starting to see Nico Harrison's vision when he traded Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis at the beginning of February. While Harrison's logic to make this move will always be flawed in Mavs fans' eyes, and they undoubtedly should have gotten a much bigger return, fans are starting to rally behind Davis ahead of the playoffs, as he is gaining steam with three games remaining in the regular season.
Davis had his best game as a Maverick last Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks, as he finished with 34 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks, showing the world that he can still be the Anthony Davis of old. He couldn't be stopped, and his elite performance on both ends of the floor showed how dangerous he can be when fully locked in and healthy.
Mavs fans haven't gotten to see much of Davis yet, since he got hurt in his Mavs debut and didn't return until the end of last month, but fans are starting to realize something about him that made him beloved as a member of the Lakers during his 5.5 seasons in Los Angeles.
Anthony Davis is a fearless warrior and hates to sit out
Lakers fans remember him for fighting through injuries and playing (even when he probably should have sat out a little longer), and he is bringing this same drive to Dallas.
Davis wants to be on the floor as much as he can, and he hates to miss time with injuries. This doesn't mean that Davis won't be out sometimes, as he is notorious for getting injured from the earlier days in his career, but he does have a warrior mindset that not many players in the NBA have.
Davis fought relentlessly to return from the adductor strain he suffered in his Mavs debut despite some people from inside the organization thinking he should be shut down, and this shows just how dedicated he is to being available as much as he can. The easy move for Davis would have been to sit out for the rest of the season to recover from his injury and prepare for next season, since Dallas' odds of making a playoff run are dangerously low, but he was motivated to return to show Mavs fans that he's got their back for years to come as the new superstar of the team.
Davis heard all of the noise about how bad the Mavs' trade to acquire him was, and he is ready to show the world that he can be the No. 1 option on a contender. His time in Dallas will look a bit different from Doncic's, as they went from having one of the most spectacular offensive players in NBA history to having a two-way monster, and Harrison's full vision for this team won't be visible until Kyrie Irving returns from his torn ACL at some point next season (assuming he stays with the Mavericks this offseason).
Davis' intentionality to be on the floor as much as possible is a testament to his work ethic and drive to be great, and Mavericks fans' faith in him will continue to grow as time goes on. He is going to give all that he has, regardless of who is on the floor with him, and if he's healthy, bet on him playing as hard as he possibly can.
