MAVS NEWS:

[F Gump]

Kind of strange that he missed the announcement that Lively is going to be the starter.

There was no such announcement, and Franko's analysis of the issue is spot on.

Where the idea came from? It was this tweet by Sidery that was taken as reporting, but imo was only speculative assumption. There was no report, no link, just this, which retells in a summary what a podcast said about Lively.

https://x.com/esidery/status/1808119839203999981

Evan Sidery Jul 2
The Mavericks believe Dereck Lively has the potential to become an elite defensive anchor similar to Kevin Garnett or Joakim Noah, per @espn_macmahon (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brian-windhorst-the-hoop-collective/id293376147?i=1000660892043). 

Dallas is expected to start Lively full-time next season with Daniel Gafford moving to a bench role.

-------

That tweet was posted here, and everyone took it as gospel and something the Mavs had already decided and announced, rather than speculative guessing. Interestingly, no one else in media (especially Stein) has mentioned the idea, ever.

Going back to the podcast, it was just speculation by Tim McMahon, not reporting. "Tim M expects Dallas to start Lively next season" would have been more accurate reporting, and he didn't say exactly when he thought Lively might be promoted. He was talking about the defense overall, and the loss of DJJ and how the Mavs would adjust (starts at about the 14:30 mark in the link above) and then he drifted onto other players and their impact on the issue. His exact words were: "I do think Lively ends up starting, and they're gonna--- I've been told they think Lively has like Joakim Noah, Kevin Garnett type of defensive potential, in terms of not just being your traditional anchor, but being an 'all over the floor' type of presence. They're putting a lot on him to prop up a defense that..." and then he trailed off and starting talking about other players.

That was "the announcement" -- with a reality that nothing has changed since the season end, and everyone is just guessing what they think is ahead.
 
My impression was that, because it fit expectations, it was taken here by most as something official and as set. AFAIK that is where it all began.

I've lightly pushed back from time to time here on the belief that Lively has been anointed to start, including in our discussion about Maxi's role, but didn't push the flimsiness of the idea. And it's a fool's errand to try to prove a negative, especially when we can just wait n see. 

As for the possibility, I really think the better idea would be to continue having Lively as the backup, because of his slight frame. He had multiple injuries last season. Let his minutes grow, but let him get to work against backups and starters after they are tired. And try to keep him from being pushed into injuries.

[Scott41theMavs]

There was no such announcement, and Franko's analysis of the issue is spot on.

Where the idea came from? It was this tweet by Sidery that was taken as reporting, but imo was only speculative assumption. There was no report, no link, just this, which retells in a summary what a podcast said about Lively.

https://x.com/esidery/status/1808119839203999981

Evan Sidery Jul 2
The Mavericks believe Dereck Lively has the potential to become an elite defensive anchor similar to Kevin Garnett or Joakim Noah, per @espn_macmahon (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brian-windhorst-the-hoop-collective/id293376147?i=1000660892043). 

Dallas is expected to start Lively full-time next season with Daniel Gafford moving to a bench role.

-------

That tweet was posted here, and everyone took it as gospel and something the Mavs had already decided and announced, rather than speculative guessing. Interestingly, no one else in media (especially Stein) has mentioned the idea, ever.

Going back to the podcast, it was just speculation by Tim McMahon, not reporting. "Tim M expects Dallas to start Lively next season" would have been more accurate reporting, and he didn't say exactly when he thought Lively might be promoted. He was talking about the defense overall, and the loss of DJJ and how the Mavs would adjust (starts at about the 14:30 mark in the link above) and then he drifted onto other players and their impact on the issue. His exact words were: "I do think Lively ends up starting, and they're gonna--- I've been told they think Lively has like Joakim Noah, Kevin Garnett type of defensive potential, in terms of not just being your traditional anchor, but being an 'all over the floor' type of presence. They're putting a lot on him to prop up a defense that..." and then he trailed off and starting talking about other players.

That was "the announcement" -- with a reality that nothing has changed since the season end, and everyone is just guessing what they think is ahead.
 
My impression was that, because it fit expectations, it was taken here by most as something official and as set. AFAIK that is where it all began.

I've lightly pushed back from time to time here on the belief that Lively has been anointed to start, including in our discussion about Maxi's role, but didn't push the flimsiness of the idea. And it's a fool's errand to try to prove a negative, especially when we can just wait n see. 

As for the possibility, I really think the better idea would be to continue having Lively as the backup, because of his slight frame. He had multiple injuries last season. Let his minutes grow, but let him get to work against backups and starters after they are tired. And try to keep him from being pushed into injuries.

Seems like getting him to strengthen that frame would be goal.

[RGP1981]

When is the Mavs' training camp starting?

Google tells me that liposuction patients typically require six weeks before they can be comfortable enough to engage in intense activities.

I think Luka should consider it, to lose the 30+ pounds he need to drop. There's no shame in it... and slim, lean, healthy Luka will be unstoppable.

[Knutsen]

When is the Mavs' training camp starting?

Google tells me that liposuction patients typically require six weeks before they can be comfortable enough to engage in intense activities.

I think Luka should consider it, to lose the 30+ pounds he need to drop. There's no shame in it... and slim, lean, healthy Luka will be unstoppable.

I like your outside-the-box thinking, even if it‘s pretty offensive in that case. Has there ever been a professional athlete who has done this?

With the level of activity Luka has he‘d be slim automatically if he would stay to a clean diet for a couple of months.

[Chicagojk]

I think I would bet money that Lively starts the season as the starter, but to be honest I am more interested in him ramping up the minutes a little more and finishing games rather than who starts. In time, Lively will need to start. I think you can get away with it for another year if you desire. I sort of like having a game changer coming off the bench. I really don't think it matters who starts if the starter is replaced 4-5 minutes into the game.

There will come a time soon that Lively is one of the top leaders and his status will demand a starting spot. Maybe that is now. If not, I don't think Lively is a guy who will let this bother him. It could be a different story in year 3 though.

[DanSchwartzgan]

https://digginbasketball.substack.com/p/...-about-the

I didn't see where anyone posted the next installment on the offense.  https://digginbasketball.substack.com/p/...me-a-top-5

I think the answer to his question is yes, they can become a top 5 offense.  As most everyone this summer has said, the question is 'at what cost - defensively'.  Iztok concentrates this article on 3 point gravity (volume and percentage and ability to draw defenders away from the paint).  Add more gravity to what are already two of the best attackers in the league and two of the best rim runners in the league and it should be a formula for a very good offense.

I'll mention two other things I think Dallas accomplished offensively this summer.  Thompson and Grimes both have some ability as movement 3 point shooters.  We have this in our playbook and ran THJ off of a screen or pin down at times.  I suspect we'll get more of it with Thompson as a way of diversifying the offense and to keep him doing more than just standing around waiting for a pass from Luka.  In fact, in much the same way that we almost always have a rim runner in the game, we might come close to always having one of Thompson/Grimes in the game should Grimes live up to expectations (hopes).

It think the other undersold thing about our offense is improved passing.  Naji is just a much better passer/initiator than DJJ.  He won't finish fast breaks the way DJJ could, but he can run the break as a ball handler.  Kidd often had DJJ or Green initiate certain plays and it always looked a bit uncomfortable for them.  I don't think it will be an issue for Naji or Grimes.  Thompson is also a better passer than THJ.  Grimes isn't as creative or effective a passer as Green, but he doesn't suck at it either.  The net of the three in and the three out is a much better passing game among the non-stars.

I think we improved our 3 point gravity, our passing and added more movement shooting than we've had in the past.  Those things all make our post up game and our PnR game even more effective than they already were.  Green and DJJ were very good getting out on the break.  I'm not sure we are as good there, but I think we have more people who can look up and make great passes ahead on the break.  So, I don't necessarily see a net drop off there.  Our defensive numbers may drop off some from what they were during the last quarter of the season (that was probably inevitable).  But, part of the reason that we may have to account for as we look at the numbers is our offense is just going to devastate teams some nights.  When that happens and the D just coasts the rest of the night with a 25 point lead, the data won't be the same as it would have been in a tighter game.  I think it will be a very fun brand of basketball to watch.

[DanSchwartzgan]

I think I would bet money that Lively starts the season as the starter, but to be honest I am more interested in him ramping up the minutes a little more and finishing games rather than who starts.  In time, Lively will need to start.  I think you can get away with it for another year if you desire.    I sort of like having a game changer coming off the bench.  I really don't think it matters who starts if the starter is replaced 4-5 minutes into the game.

There will come a time soon that Lively is one of the top leaders and his status will demand a starting spot.  Maybe that is now.  If not, I don't think Lively is a guy who will let this bother him.  It could be a different story in year 3 though.

I think Kidd will throw us a curveball to start the season whether it is Lively or Thompson.  I'm not a fan of the experimenting he does to start each season but two deep playoff runs the last three seasons says I should shut up and let him do his job.  The investment in depth tells me they may take regular season record more seriously (for seeding purposes), but who knows.

One thing about experimenting (if they continue to do it) is you don't start out with what you plan to finish with.  You start out with something different, try a few things and eventually land on the best thing.  If he starts out with Luka, Irving, Thompson, PJ and Lively for a few weeks and then goes to something else, then it is a demotion for the player who moves to the bench.  But, if he tests out starting Naji or Grimes or Gafford and then moves to the obviously better player then it feels like we spent some time trying things and eventually landed on what everyone knew was the best lineup.

Personally, I'd probably keep bringing Lively off the bench.  I liked your point about having a 'game-changer' off the bench.  I don't think Thompson will be the full time starter here for the entirety of his contract.  But, I suspect he starts to begin the season and either transitions later this season or next season (maybe in conjunction with Lively moving to the starting lineup).  I do think it is easier for Dallas to bring him off the bench than it was for GS to do so.  I could see Naji looking really good as a starter when Klay misses 2-3 weeks with an injury and that being the catalyst for a change.  But, it doesn't necessarily have to be soon (or even this season).  It doesn't have to happen at all as Kidd is not afraid to use "pseudo-starters" and then bring them out 4 minutes into the game.  That might also be what happens with Thompson so the crowd can cheer for the 'star' player during introductions.

[Smitty]

I think I would bet money that Lively starts the season as the starter, but to be honest I am more interested in him ramping up the minutes a little more and finishing games rather than who starts.  In time, Lively will need to start.  I think you can get away with it for another year if you desire.    I sort of like having a game changer coming off the bench.  I really don't think it matters who starts if the starter is replaced 4-5 minutes into the game.

There will come a time soon that Lively is one of the top leaders and his status will demand a starting spot.  Maybe that is now.  If not, I don't think Lively is a guy who will let this bother him.  It could be a different story in year 3 though.

I think Lively starts. Makes sense with a weaker defender (Klay) starting in place of DJJ. But to your point, the Mavs can start Gafford and bring Lively in at the 7 minute mark to finish the quarter, and "close". A quarter rotation of Gafford 5 min and Lively 7 min puts the split at Gafford 20 min and Lively 28 min with Lively closing. I think it will work itself out throughout the season, so I'm not worried about it.

[mvossman]

There was no such announcement, and Franko's analysis of the issue is spot on.

Where the idea came from? It was this tweet by Sidery that was taken as reporting, but imo was only speculative assumption. There was no report, no link, just this, which retells in a summary what a podcast said about Lively.

https://x.com/esidery/status/1808119839203999981

Evan Sidery Jul 2
The Mavericks believe Dereck Lively has the potential to become an elite defensive anchor similar to Kevin Garnett or Joakim Noah, per @espn_macmahon (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brian-windhorst-the-hoop-collective/id293376147?i=1000660892043). 

Dallas is expected to start Lively full-time next season with Daniel Gafford moving to a bench role.

-------

That tweet was posted here, and everyone took it as gospel and something the Mavs had already decided and announced, rather than speculative guessing. Interestingly, no one else in media (especially Stein) has mentioned the idea, ever.

Going back to the podcast, it was just speculation by Tim McMahon, not reporting. "Tim M expects Dallas to start Lively next season" would have been more accurate reporting, and he didn't say exactly when he thought Lively might be promoted. He was talking about the defense overall, and the loss of DJJ and how the Mavs would adjust (starts at about the 14:30 mark in the link above) and then he drifted onto other players and their impact on the issue. His exact words were: "I do think Lively ends up starting, and they're gonna--- I've been told they think Lively has like Joakim Noah, Kevin Garnett type of defensive potential, in terms of not just being your traditional anchor, but being an 'all over the floor' type of presence. They're putting a lot on him to prop up a defense that..." and then he trailed off and starting talking about other players.

That was "the announcement" -- with a reality that nothing has changed since the season end, and everyone is just guessing what they think is ahead.
 
My impression was that, because it fit expectations, it was taken here by most as something official and as set. AFAIK that is where it all began.

I've lightly pushed back from time to time here on the belief that Lively has been anointed to start, including in our discussion about Maxi's role, but didn't push the flimsiness of the idea. And it's a fool's errand to try to prove a negative, especially when we can just wait n see. 

As for the possibility, I really think the better idea would be to continue having Lively as the backup, because of his slight frame. He had multiple injuries last season. Let his minutes grow, but let him get to work against backups and starters after they are tired. And try to keep him from being pushed into injuries.

Hmmm.  I will be disappointed if Gafford starts games from the standpoint that I though Lively would help mitigate the drop off in defense from DJJ to Klay.  The reality is if Kidd staggers the lineups we are really only talking about the first 5 minutes of games.  It's a little ironic that as excited as I am about the team for the upcoming season, the starting lineup is probably one of my least favorite lineups, at least from a defensive standpoint.

[mvossman]

I think Kidd will throw us a curveball to start the season whether it is Lively or Thompson.  I'm not a fan of the experimenting he does to start each season but two deep playoff runs the last three seasons says I should shut up and let him do his job.  The investment in depth tells me they may take regular season record more seriously (for seeding purposes), but who knows.

One thing about experimenting (if they continue to do it) is you don't start out with what you plan to finish with.  You start out with something different, try a few things and eventually land on the best thing.  If he starts out with Luka, Irving, Thompson, PJ and Lively for a few weeks and then goes to something else, then it is a demotion for the player who moves to the bench.  But, if he tests out starting Naji or Grimes or Gafford and then moves to the obviously better player then it feels like we spent some time trying things and eventually landed on what everyone knew was the best lineup.

Personally, I'd probably keep bringing Lively off the bench.  I liked your point about having a 'game-changer' off the bench.  I don't think Thompson will be the full time starter here for the entirety of his contract.  But, I suspect he starts to begin the season and either transitions later this season or next season (maybe in conjunction with Lively moving to the starting lineup).  I do think it is easier for Dallas to bring him off the bench than it was for GS to do so.  I could see Naji looking really good as a starter when Klay misses 2-3 weeks with an injury and that being the catalyst for a change.  But, it doesn't necessarily have to be soon (or even this season).  It doesn't have to happen at all as Kidd is not afraid to use "pseudo-starters" and then bring them out 4 minutes into the game.  That might also be what happens with Thompson so the crowd can cheer for the 'star' player during introductions.

I think in the past Kidd's experimenting had a lot to do with finding what works with flawed rosters.  This next season the Mavs will be starting with by far the best and deepest roster Kidd has had to work with.  Because of this, I think most lineups will "work" at least to some degree.  The team will take less of a hit for "bad" lineups and will be more equipped to overcome small inefficiencies in those lineups because they are simply better.  It didn't help last season that we had so many injuries.  Hopefully we will have less of that, but with the increased depth even that will be less punishing.

[RGP1981]

I like your outside-the-box thinking, even if it‘s pretty offensive in that case. Has there ever been a professional athlete who has done this?

With the level of activity Luka has he‘d be slim automatically if he would stay to a clean diet for a couple of months.

Thank you, I'm all about solutions.

Not sure if there have been other professional athletes who have done this. People generally keep these things private.

He might be able to lose the 30+ pounds naturally but what are the odds of that happening? Liposuction could give him a jump start, so he can better prepare or focus on other things... like conditioning? Even the conditioning work he then does will be easier at a lower weight.

[SleepingHero]

https://twitter.com/KevinGraySports/stat...2853241163

@KevinGraySports
Mavericks are blessed to have a young leader and stud like Dereck Lively II, the sky is the limit for him after an impressive rookie season; here he’s working out with Myles Turner at Nike EYB…#MFFL

[DanSchwartzgan]

https://twitter.com/KevinGraySports/stat...2853241163

@KevinGraySports
Mavericks are blessed to have a young leader and stud like Dereck Lively II, the sky is the limit for him after an impressive rookie season; here he’s working out with Myles Turner at Nike EYB…#MFFL

Note the push shot in the lane and the corner 3.  Things we didn't see in his rookie year.

[Scott41theMavs]

Note the push shot in the lane and the corner 3.  Things we didn't see in his rookie year.

I do so love this kid, and am so glad Nico drafted him.

[michaeltex]

https://twitter.com/KevinGraySports/stat...2853241163

@KevinGraySports
Mavericks are blessed to have a young leader and stud like Dereck Lively II, the sky is the limit for him after an impressive rookie season; here he’s working out with Myles Turner at Nike EYB…#MFFL

Thanks for posting. I could watch this all day. Makes the coming season pretty exciting.

[Chicagojk]

Note the push shot in the lane and the corner 3.  Things we didn't see in his rookie year.

The three will eventually come, I think.   For me though, the push shot is so much more important for his development.  If he can be a threat with that shot, it just opens up so much more for him.   He is already a good passer, but can he grow into a guy who teams don't want getting the ball near the free throw line?   It just opens up so much more than sitting at the corner three and being able to hit 36% of open threes.

[michaeltex]

Thank you, I'm all about solutions.

Not sure if there have been other professional athletes who have done this. People generally keep these things private.

He might be able to lose the 30+ pounds naturally but what are the odds of that happening? Liposuction could give him a jump start, so he can better prepare or focus on other things... like conditioning? Even the conditioning work he then does will be easier at a lower weight.

I think you're looking at ~6 weeks recovery before you start doing normal exercising, maybe longer when working out at a professional athlete level. Anyone want to bet what "bored Luka" will be doing during the recovery? Plus, 6 weeks is a significant chunk of an off season to not work on improving your skills.

Managing his diet, including alcohol intake, and working to build his stamina probably yields the best results. Simplistic to say and hard to do, but he can afford a support staff to help him find his way.

With a deeper team and improvements in some of the returning players (e.g., PJW and DLive) hopefully Luka can just relax not having to be the hero every game and get back to enjoying the game, although for a little fewer MPG. Happy Luka is much more of a terror for the opposition than stressed Luka, just ask Booker.

[Chicagojk]

I would have preferred a higher tier last two way spot, but I can see the intrigue of having three guys battle out for the last spot. Dallas likes to do this. All three are intriguing. Sharp and Gortman are just so far away...and will probably never get there. I am fine with a gamble though.

https://x.com/NickVanExit/status/1821562450824561105

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

There is ZERO reason to hand Lively the starting role.

[Scott41theMavs]

There is ZERO reason to hand Lively the starting role.

Not even the fact that he may in fact be the second best player on the team with only a year under his belt? I'll hang up and listen.