Mavericks' positive Anthony Davis update hides a terrifying silver lining

Dallas Mavericks big man Anthony Davis went down with a left lower leg injury on Wednesday night against the Indiana Pacers, and despite the initial scare that Mavs fans had, Jason Kidd provided a positive update after the game during media availability. Kidd said that Davis tried to return to the game, which is definitely great news when considering his long-term availability with this left leg injury, but the truth of the matter is that Kidd's statement following the game may not be true.

The reasoning that Kidd said Davis didn't return was that they didn't want to risk anything. But, this could've just been a cover-up answer from Kidd to limit follow-up questions until they have more concrete information about what he is dealing with. Kidd always gives pretty surface-level answers when asked about injuries during press conferences, and this didn't change on Wednesday night.

In the past, Kidd has even admitted that he doesn't always tell the media the truth, and honestly, no coach always tells the full truth during interviews. Some things are better left unsaid, and press conferences are one of the many ways that coaches can leverage different information and narratives. Kidd is one of the best players' coaches in the NBA, and he could be just trying to keep some flak off of Davis' back for the time being. For all we know, Davis' injury could be somewhat serious, and we just don't know yet.

Anthony Davis' injury updates aren't always as they seem

Last season, following Davis' Mavericks debut against the Houston Rockets, he said that the injury that he suffered in the second half of that game wasn't serious and that he'd be fine. It was later reported that Davis had suffered an adductor strain, and he was out for over a month following that.

Fans should take all injury updates surrounding Davis or from Kidd with a grain of salt, as Kidd is known for keeping his cards close to his chest, and we should know more about Davis' availability over the next 24 hours when the injury report for the Mavs' game against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night is released.

It doesn't help Davis' case that he was questionable for Wednesday's game against the Pacers with bilateral Achilles tendinopathy, and it seems like his Achilles was what was bothering him when he subbed out of the game in the first quarter and never returned. After hobbling up the court, Davis immediately sat down on the scorers' table and was grabbing at his left heel. There was clearly some discomfort there, and as NBA fans know well, Achilles injuries are no joke.

The fact that Davis even played against a depleted Pacers squad with some sort of Achilles discomfort was a bold move by the Mavericks, to say the least, and if this injury ends up being serious, Dallas could be in an awful spot as they try to turn their early-season struggles around. The Mavericks will go as far as Davis takes them, and Mavericks fans will be crossing their fingers that the next update on what he is dealing with is a positive one.

The Mavericks are already without Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford, and Davis joining that inactive list would be less than ideal. They'd drop back into the same predicament as last season, when all of their bigs were hurt, and Mavericks fans better hope that Kidd was telling the full truth earlier this week. Any concerns from fans could disappear if Davis is active for Saturday night's game, but if not, they could be in some deep trouble.

Cubs Favored To Replace Kyle Tucker With $182 Million Red Sox Superstar

The Chicago Cubs took a risk and acquired Kyle Tucker in a blockbuster trade last winter, but the superstar is now a free agent. It seems like he’s going to leave town in free agency, as he’s projected to sign for north of $400 million, so the Cubs will need to do their best to replace his production.

Jordan Campbell of Cubbies Crib recently suggested the Cubs could replace Tucker’s production by signing Boston Red Sox infielder Alex Bregman. Bregman was recently projected to sign a massive $182 million contract in free agency, according to The Athletic’s Jim Bowden.

“The guess here is that the Cubs make a strong push for Alex Bregman. The Cubs identified Bregman as the piece last offseason that could transition them from being a good team into a great team,” Campbell wrote. “They weren’t wrong, but the problem was that the Cubs made a pursuit of Bregman a priority far too late in the offseason. The Boston Red Sox likely will make a strong push to bring Bregman back, but the Cubs being involved shouldn’t be that surprising.”

Bregman has been a solid fit for the Cubs for the last year, and they seemingly took a shot on him last free agency, but he opted to sign with the Red Sox.

This offseason, the Cubs need to prioritize landing an impact bat, whether it’s Tucker or a replacement. Bregman would fit that mold, especially considering the fact that he’s projected to sign for half the money.

It won’t be a cake walk for the Cubs to sign Bregman, but it’s certainly a possibility.

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