04-04-2024, 11:45 AM
(04-04-2024, 08:55 AM)HIMAV Wrote: I may be naive/optimistic here, but I don't think his durability is a true concern, or at least not yet. Lively is still a rookie center, hustling and banging around with veteran NBA centers all year. I would assume by this time next year, and definitely by the end of his rookie contract he will have bulked into a more durable NBA body.
I am hoping this exact knee sprain issue is just the Mavs being extra cautious, and giving the rookie a chance to be fresh for the playoffs.
It's great to have a player that is good enough to have us have super high expectations for him (including durability), but it's even better that Lively beats our expectations 90% of the time (this seems to be one of the few cases the kid let's us down, even if it's only slightly).
I think your mindset is the most positive best outlook. But at the end of the day Lively has missed a lot of time.
At the end of the day though it's hard to bet against him. Every single time I have he's proven me wrong so let's hope that holds true again.
14x All-Star, 12x all-NBA, 1x MVP, 1x Finals MVP, 1 NBA Championship: Dirk Nowitzki, the man, the myth, the legend.