MAVS NEWS:

[hakeemfaan]

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.

[windjc]

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.

Ah ha! So this is really about you wanting him to develop new skills. Well that’s an entirely different topic.

I think I’ll refer you to Dusty May for that conversation.

[Scott41theMavs]

You still didn't answer what makes him a great player if he loses some of his athleticism. I mentioned his deficiencies as a player.  There is a big difference between what Lively was before and Muresan.  No one is saying he will come back as a Muresan (at least one hopes not). 

You mentioned processing speed and basketball IQ, which I conceded that players who can shine in the NBA (which he certainly did when he was healthy) definitely have.  Someone like Kai Jones didn't make it despite insane athleticism due to that. However, no concessions from you that even superstar players suddenly lose it when they lose a step?  Many veterans have said that there is no gradual decline.  They feel it immediately. Did they all lose their processing speed and IQ? No, but the loss in a step did affect their games. At least the ability to shoot or pass the ball doesn't rely on supreme athletic ability and can allow them to slow down their eventual retirement or mask some of that athletic loss. How will Lively mask that?

Why is there so much optimism that a stress fracture and repeated surgeries are not a big deal for a 7 fter whose game is heavily reliant on his athleticism? Is his processing speed and bbiq going to make up for any drop in his athleticism or shield his body from being injury prone?

Whatever. 

M&M were willing to negotiate an extension with him of some amount. If they had your concerns and did that, they’d have to be dumber than Nico.

[Chicagojk]

Might be some home town homerism but still

https://x.com/noahweber00/status/2083633...84962?s=46

[FireNicoHarrison]

I don't know how many of our guys will be NBA players but i like very much how M&M worked in this draft...