MAVS NEWS:

[Smitty]

I think you were the one who posted his on/off impact earlier on this very page. When you have a player this impactful, you wait and let him figure out how to play a full season. This board seems to believe that health only decreases over time, but with certain types of players who are as young as lively, I submit that it can actually improve. See Tyson Chandler, Marcus Camby, etc. I just don’t think you give up on him at this point, nor do I think it should even be crossing our minds.

Now, that doesn’t mean you give him a huge contract, but there’s a world in which he doesn’t command one from any team and that might play in the Mavericks’ favor, long term. 

For now, we just watch. Of the four qualified centers on this team, he is the one I would trade last.

There’s never been a doubt in my mind that he impacts winning. The old saying that availability is the best ability has always been my thing with him. Your post has helped bring me down a level though. I can’t remember the poster that’s been hammering the trade Lively drum, but I’m not there and will probably never get there. I just don’t want the Mavs to hand out a big contract on a kid that doesn’t play.

Same feelings I have for AD to be fair.