08-01-2026, 05:47 PM
(This post was last modified: 08-01-2026, 05:48 PM by hakeemfaan.)
(08-01-2026, 05:32 PM)windjc Wrote: Because he has still been growing. The last injury was misdiagnosed. Otherwise he would be playing alreadyz
Plus 16-24 year olds have remarkable healing capacity.
This is not a joint or ligament issue. It’s a bone. Bones heal and you move on.
Also he isn’t some crazy explosive athlete. He is a decently agile 7’ 3” kid who gets things done above the rim.
Decently agile??
If he were just a decently agile 7 fter, with the other deficiencies that I mentioned (very limited shooting ability, not a great passer, not a bruiser, not a great defensive rebounder), I don't even know how much he would have fallen in the draft.
As any other diehard Mavs fan, I truly want him to succeed but let's not fool ourselves that the current version of Lively has many other great fallback options as a player if his athleticism is impacted.
As for healing and coming back, again, I truly hope he does. I also hope that being the smart player he is, he reinvents himself for his own sake. The 3s that he takes and makes in practice HAVE to be a part of his game going forward; there has to be a bit more emphasis on passing and defensive rebounding. He can't put his body, which has not held up well, under constant stress by just focusing on above the rim stuff. He has to understand that developing other tools is the best way for him to stay in this league for a long time.