Mavericks' hopes suffer blow with brutal Anthony Davis injury news

Anthony Davis left his first game as a Maverick, a 116-105 win over the Rockets on Saturday, during the third quarter with an injury that's reportedly been diagnosed as an adductor strain. 

While Davis was confident after the game that he'd only suffered a minor setback, the Mavericks and their medical staff will reportedly meet Monday to determine whether the injury requires surgery.

It's a blow to the hopes of the Mavericks, who traded the 25-year-old Doncic for the 31-year-old Davis, hoping the addition of the world-class defensive big man could help them return to the NBA Finals. He's no slouch on offense either, averaging 25.7 points this season.

Now he's out for weeks, if not months, as the 28-25 Mavericks try to adjust to life without their new All-Star or their old All-Star. They're in eighth place in the Western Conference but only 1.5 games ahead of the 11th-place Golden State Warriors. Without the contributions of Davis and Doncic, their seventh-ranked offense and 14th-ranked defense should both suffer.

Davis has had numerous injuries in his 13-year career. He's had a history of "low-grade left adductor strains" since his time on the New Orleans Pelicans.

But the injury to the historically fragile Davis calls into question the Mavericks' motivation in making their blockbuster trade. If, as reported, they were concerned about Doncic's conditioning and injury issues, why would they trade for player with a far more extensive history of injuries?

It's certainly not going to quiet the Mavericks fans protesting the trade outside the team's arena this week, with Doncic expected to make his Lakers debut Monday night versus the Utah Jazz. 

So far, the trade isn't looking great for Dallas.