"Whole frontcourt made of glass": Mavericks fans frustrated as Anthony Davis' $14,386,320 running mate suffers multi-week injury

The Dallas Mavericks’ 2024-25 campaign fell apart despite acquiring Anthony Davis, as the team suffered an endless barrage of injuries last season. The new season is still some ways away, but the injury plague seems to be affecting the team already. On Wednesday, the Mavericks announced that $14 million center Daniel Gafford has sprained his ankle and will be out for two to three weeks.

Gafford joins PJ Washington on the sidelines, who is also injured after bumping his head in practice. Apart from these two, Brandon Williams has a hamstring strain and will also be out for at least a week. Dante Exum is also yet to join practice, although it is unclear if his absence is injury-related.

Lastly, Kyrie Irving continues to recover from an ACL tear he suffered last season; he could miss the entire 2025-26 season.

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As the injuries continue to mount, Dallas Mavericks fans have been expressing their frustration on social media. Some fans reacted to the news of Gafford’s injury, saying the team’s frontcourt is “made of glass.” Here are the most notable reactions on X:

“Whole frontcourt made of glass, I'm out bro,” one fan said.

With significant injuries affecting the team’s frontcourt depth, Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II and Cooper Flagg might be stretched thin at the start of 2025-26.

Anthony Davis to wear protective goggles for the remainder of his career

While Anthony Davis isn’t injured, the wear and tear caused by basketball has led him to make a significant decision regarding his career this offseason. Davis and Gafford trained together over the summer, hoping to return stronger in 2025-26.

In April, Davis underwent surgery for a detached retina after Gafford accidentally elbowed him in the eye. While speaking to reporters on Monday, the NBA champion said that he will have to wear protective goggles for the remainder of his career. Davis assured the fans that the vision in his eye has been clear since the surgery.

The Dallas Mavericks will play their first preseason game against the OKC Thunder on Oct. 6. The team's season opener is scheduled for Oct. 22, giving PJ Washington and Gafford time to recover from their injury setbacks.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Sameer Khan