Mavericks’ Anthony Davis begins light on-court work, with glove

Mavericks big man Anthony Davis is at least moving in the right direction. Slowly. Carefully. And with a glove.

Davis has returned to Dallas and begun light on-court work as he rehabs ligament damage in his left hand, according to Grant Afseth of DallasHoopsJournal.com. Davis is wearing a protective glove and easing into basketball activity while the injury heals without surgery, Afseth writes.

Because it is his non-shooting hand, Davis can stay engaged on the floor while the rehab process plays out. The current expectation is roughly a six-week recovery window, which likely keeps him sidelined through the All-Star break and into late February.

Dallas is taking the cautious route, and for good reason. This is already Davis’ second extended absence of the season. He previously missed most of November with a calf issue and has also dealt with a groin injury. In total, he has sat out more than half of the Mavericks’ games.

When he has played, he has been productive: Twenty-plus points per night. Double-digit rebounds. Steady two-way presence.

Even while sidelined, Davis has remained around the team and involved, as has Kyrie Irving, who has also been limited. Their leadership has mattered, especially as Dallas tries to stabilize.

The Mavericks have quietly shown signs of life without Davis, going 5-1 over their last six after a rougher stretch earlier in the season.