Stephen A. Smith pinpoints Anthony Davis' arrival as X-factor for OKC Thunder's achilles heel in damning prediction

In a shocking turn of events, Anthony Davis will play for the Dallas Mavericks instead of the LA Lakers. Following the NBA's blockbuster trade on Saturday, an analyst feels this new-look squad can take down one of the league's top contenders.

Davis' time in LA came to an end after reports emerged that he was traded for Luka Doncic. The all-star big man now finds himself in Dallas, where he'll be joining forces with Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson.

On Monday's episode of ESPN's "Get Up," Stephen A. Smith gave his thoughts on the Mavericks having Davis. He feels the star big man can be an X-factor for them in any future playoff battles with the OKC Thunder.

"I got Dallas as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference right now," Smith said. "If you're looking at Oklahoma City, as great as they have been, what has been their Achilles heel? The Dallas Mavericks seem to be an Achilles heel for OKC."

Smith also brought up Dallas' playoff success against OKC in his reasoning, but things will be much different moving forward. They had an all-around offensive threat in Doncic leading them in the past and that will no longer be the case.

If the Mavericks want to get back to the NBA finals with Davis, they'll likely need to get through the Thunder. Having his services will certainly aid them, as OKC has a massive frontcourt when fully healthy.

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Charles Barkley is high on the Dallas Mavericks after acquiring Anthony Davis from LA Lakers

Stephen A. Smith is not the only one who is high on the Mavericks after the Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade. An NBA legend also has them near the top of the Western Conference following the league-altering trade.

On Sunday, Charles Barkley made an appearance on NBA TV to talk about Doncic heading to the Lakers. During the interview, he let out a bold take regarding the Mavericks' standing in the Western Conference moving forward.

Barkley gave credit to some of the young teams in the West performing well this season. However, with Davis on the roster, he has Dallas as the second best team in the conference behind the OKC Thunder.

"Man, the Dallas Mavericks," Barkley said. "They might have just became the second best team in the Western Conference. Dallas, this going to be a very fun thing to watch."

Davis might not be on the same tier as Doncic, but he is a high-impact player in the NBA. He is also a star who is productive on both ends of the floor. Along with leading the offense alongside Kyrie Irving, Davis will likely be the anchor on defense.

Before the trade, Davis was averaging 25.7 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.1 blocks.