Anthony Davis' return comes too late for nightmarish Mavericks season

The 10-time All-Star had a brilliant first game before going down in the third quarter. In 31 minutes, Davis stuffed the box score with 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.

Dallas acquired Davis in the controversial trade that sent beloved Mavericks guard Luka Doncic to the Lakers and spurred protests by passionate fans of the franchise.

Since his injury, the Mavericks' season has gone from bad to worse. On March 3, point guard Kyrie Irving tore his ACL, ending his season. 

The Mavericks (34-37, 11th in Western Conference) are 2-7 in their nine games since losing Irving and have fallen into a tie with the Suns (34-37, 10th in Western Conference) for the West’s final play-in spot. 

While fans might want this season to end as soon as possible, Davis‘ return could give the Mavericks a puncher’s chance of getting the West’s No. 8 seed with two play-in tournament wins.

That might be the worst way for the season to head for Dallas, which owns its 2025 NBA Draft first-round pick. Ending the season in the lottery, where it would have a slim chance of earning the No. 1 pick, would be preferable to a ham-fisted first-round postseason exit.

On most occasions, getting a player of Davis' caliber back from injury would be a blessing. However, for franchises as dysfunctional as the Mavs, it's a curse.