As the Houston Rockets dropped a brutal game against the Dallas Mavericks, falling to a 15-6 record and the fourth seed in the Western Conference, the absences of Alperen Sengun and Steven Adams put a glaring spotlight on some of the weaknesses that will continue to plague this team as the season continues.
Yet, what was perhaps more painful was the sublime performance that Anthony Davis posted against them, meaning that, on top of providing their rivals with a much-needed win, they also gave them a boost on the trade market.
Any attempts that Dallas will make this season to build around Cooper Flagg center around Davis, and Houston just gifted them another opportunity to prove his growing trade value.
The Rockets just helped the Mavericks get closer to accomplishing their primary goal this season
The downfall of the Mavericks since the Luka Doncic trade has been well-documented and, for the most part, does not need to be re-hashed here.
What is important to note, however, is that the team has made clear their intention to deal Davis this season as long as there is a market for him, enabling them to begin constructing their roster around Flagg.
Yet, Davis has spent much of last season (and this season) sidelined with injury, and, as of even a week ago, it appeared as though his trade value had bottomed out. His 29 point, eight rebound and two assist performance on Saturday against Houston, however, is almost certain to help their cause.
While he had a stunning 32-point performance against the Denver Nuggets earlier this month, his performance against the Rockets came off the back of a severely disappointing outing against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In lacking their two primary centers, however, Houston was unable to put forward a body that could sufficiently slow Davis down. He flashed an ability not only to dominate in the paint but also to get his shot up in the mid-range, and, with each successive performance of this magnitude, the ears of front offices around the league will continue to perk up.
While the outcome of this game was somewhat predictable, given the intensity of the Rockets’ schedule this past week and the absences they were faced with, it’s always painful to give a rival a boost, and any increase in Davis’s trade value certainly signifies that for the Mavericks.
Of course, one game will not entice a team to fork over a hefty package in exchange for Davis, but it certainly doesn’t hurt their cause either.
