Anthony Davis impressed in his debut with the Dallas Mavericks, but an injury forced him to leave the game early, and he will now be sidelined for an extended period. A former NBA star has weighed in on what the Mavericks did wrong in their handling of AD.

In what is a touch of good fortune for the Mavericks, the franchise has "tangible optimism" that Davis will avoid surgery on the ailment, according to a report from NBA Insider Marc Stein. That's probably the best outcome anyone could hope for after what was a scary scene in American Airlines Center on Saturday.

Former Laker Anthony Davis had 26 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and three blocked shots before leaving in the third quarter while Max Christie scored 23.