Anthony Davis will miss at least 2 more weeks with groin injury, but is making 'good progress'

If the Dallas Mavericks can get mostly healthy by mid-March, there should be time for the defending Western Conference champions to play their way into a decent playoff position.

Coach Jason Kidd understands it might be a big "if."

"You're never guaranteed to be healthy," Kidd said Thursday after the Mavericks announced that recently acquired star Anthony Davis will be out at least two more weeks but is making "good progress" in recovery from a groin injury sustained in his Dallas debut.

"Beginning of the season, we had injuries right off the bat," Kidd said. "And so it would be great to get healthy. But if we're not healthy, we've got to deal with the cards that we have and put guys in a position to be successful."

The Mavericks are eighth in the West heading into their return from the All-Star break Friday night at home against last-place New Orleans. Dallas is well within range of the top six, which would avoid the play-in tournament.

"I would say that our goals are still attainable," Kidd said. "It's a matter of, ‘Can we get healthy?'"

Davis was dominant in the first half of his only game with the Mavericks against Houston on Feb. 8, but pulled up lame late in the third quarter of Dallas' 116-105 victory.

The 10-time All-Star had missed his last two games with the Lakers because of an abdominal injury before the seismic trade that sent fellow superstar Luka Doncic to Los Angeles. Davis then sat the first two games he could have played for Dallas before suiting up against the Rockets.

"He's doing better," Kidd said. "I saw him in the weight room and then on the court shooting, so a lot of positive stuff. It's always good to see."

The groin injury only intensified criticism of Dallas general manager Nico Harrison over