Is Anthony Davis The Star The Mavericks Need To Get Over The Hump?

The shock from the Dallas Mavericks’ earth-shattering trade to acquire Anthony Davis for Luka Doncic hasn’t gone away. I’m not sure it ever will, to be perfectly honest. But there is plenty more basketball to watch and analyze, and the Mavericks will do their best to push for a title, regardless of the coffins stationed around their arena.

Dallas may have mortgaged its future for a superfluous retool, but Davis is an undoubtedly elite basketball player. In nearly all circumstances, acquiring Davis in a trade would be widely celebrated. That won’t be the case for this deal, but he’s impactful enough on both ends to keep Dallas on the fringes of NBA title contention.

The 31-year-old Davis is still an All-NBA-caliber player, averaging 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists on a 60.2 percent true shooting percentage. He ranks 12th in Estimated Plus-Minus (plus-4.2) and is one of seven players this season with an offensive and defensive EPM in the 90th percentile or higher. 

Is A Defensive Juggernaut Brewing?

Davis will supercharge an already strong Dallas defense, which is the clearest motive for this trade. Despite a myriad of important injuries, the Mavericks rank 12th in defensive rating (114.1), and Davis arrives as one of the world’s better defensive players. Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, two excellent interior defenders, have both missed significant time this season.

It appears Davis’s long-standing wish to play the four spot will finally bear fruit in Dallas at full strength. Davis, Lively and Gafford provide a stalwart trio of bigs to boost the Mavs’ defensive floor no matter the lineup. Units with Davis at the four could struggle offensively but form an impregnable defensive anchor in return.

Davis regularly carried an underwhelming Lakers’ defensive roster, functioning as their only true rim protector as LeBron James stays groundbound more often. The Lakers often needed him to close space on the perimeter and switch as well, forcing him to work overtime.

They found recent success with Dorian Finney-Smith and Max Christie — who will join Davis in Dallas — but the Mavs’ defensive talent should help Davis catch his breath. Christie will strengthen and reinforce Dallas’ stout defensive wing group, which features Naji Marshall, PJ Washington, Quentin Grimes and Klay Thompson.

Playing next to another center will mean head coach Jason Kidd should let Davis loose to defend the perimeter. His motor has run hot and cold this season, but much improved defensive talent should help lower his workload and let him overwhelm on the outside.

Anthony Davis is a ridiculous perimeter defender, lineups with him and one of Gafford or Lively will dominate defensively. Always absurd range on defense pic.twitter.com/hmJlw74aQo

— Sportscasting NBA (@SportcastingNBA) February 3, 2025

Dallas’ defense at the peak of its powers should play like an elite unit. Its offensive outlook isn’t nearly as rosy. Doncic, more than most players in NBA history, produces instantly efficient half-court offense, which translates to the postseason. 

Offensive Creativity Will Be Crucial

Lineups pairing Doncic and Kyrie Irving mustered a historic offense over the last two seasons (122.5 offensive ratings), but Dallas’ offense only dropped two points with Doncic as a solo star creator. When Doncic was on the floor, the Mavs produced an offensive rating above 120 across the last three seasons.

Davis is a fantastic offensive player but not the singular force Doncic is. At his core, Davis is a pure interior scorer, winning in the post, on the roll and on the glass. He scores 62.3 percent of his field goals off of assists and spends just 18.4 percent of his time on the ball, compared to 32.6 percent from James and 29.1 percent from Austin Reaves.

He dominates as an isolation and post-up scorer, and should still destroy defenses in that manner. Overwhelming strength, touch and handling skill help him convert 73.1 percent of his shots at the rim. Davis’ scoring increases the floor of his team’s offense, even if his deployment may shift in Dallas. 

Playing next to Gafford or Lively will move Davis out on the perimeter, forcing him into spot-up situations. Davis isn’t shooting efficiently from deep (29.8 percent), but he’s found a niche as a pick-and-roll creator. He’s morphed into a part-time offensive conductor, running a career-high 1.9 pick-and-rolls per game as the handler (not including passes) with 93rd-percentile efficiency.

The Lakers often caused confusion screening for Davis with a wing or guard, a role consistently filled by Christie. Dallas may incorporate more pick-and-rolls with Gafford or Lively as Davis’ partner to minimize Davis’ time standing around on the perimeter. 

Anthony Davis and Max Christie developed a nice repertoire as an inverse PNR duo, with Davis running the lead. Will we see these plays with Lively and Gafford as screeners? pic.twitter.com/IVhE1Qa7fn

— Sportscasting NBA (@SportcastingNBA) February 3, 2025

Limited Playmaking Could Sink Dallas

Irving’s off-ball brilliance makes him a snug fit with Davis. He’s a phenomenal pick-and-roll creator himself, even if not the level of Doncic, and can feed Davis easy buckets. Elite outside shooting and shot creation inside the arc make Irving a star, but how high can Dallas’ offense reach without a true primary creator?

A playmaking virtuoso like Doncic masked Dallas’s lack of playmaking talent. Davis is a good, albeit not elite passer. The vast majority of recent title teams, led by legendary offensive engines like James, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo, reinforce the need for unflappable offensive production.

It’s possible a balanced offense spearheaded by Davis and Irving could function well and the defensive improvement might offset the half-court losses. Concerns about Doncic’s conditioning and availability are valid, but the Mavericks are a worse team without him today and in the long run.

Historically, Irving has risen his play in the postseason, as has Davis at times. The eighth-seeded Mavericks must cement themselves in the playoffs and likely will as they grow healthier this year. Just like last season, Dallas will hope to reach championship heights with a brand new star at the helm. Or, maybe it’ll realize the grass isn’t greener on this new side and falter without Doncic, despite everything Davis can bring.