2023 DRAFT: Mavs take Lively, OMP, sign Mike Miles to 2-way, sign Jordan Walker

[Razzmatazz_Hopskidillydoo]

Yeah, he won't be the 10th, 11th, 12th.....best player available.  But the question is what type of player he could become and how tough he is.   There is a route where he could have a similar career as Tyson Chandler.  But I have no idea.  A lot of will depend how tough he is and how bad he wants it.    So you could make the case where he isn't the best pick now, but if he can be a 12 point, 10 rebound player with elite rim defense that he could exactly what this team needs.    Is that worth the 10th pick in the draft?   

Again, i have not looked in depth of the prospects yet, but just off quick thought if we combined the last two classes I would of had Duren #1, Mark Williams and Lively would be close 2nd and third and Kessler would be 4th.   Kessler was huge this year so my evaluation was probably off.

I know you are aware of this but I'm mentioning this just the same.
The draft is tricky because a large part of the evaluation process are based on assumptions and projections and even guess-work.
A Tyson Chandler clone at pick 10 for the Mavs? I'm very much okay with that. But the question is -- would he really be?
Lively can very well turn out to be just Jaxson Hayes.

It's very early to see what Lively can become. Although I have high hopes for the guy (I actually could see him as less imposing TC but a more modern game), the Mavs at this point needs to be very opportunistic with this draft. Yes, pick 10 with Lively can fill-up a backup C vacancy, but the Mavs still have a lot of holes to fill. The Mavs need to know if Lively can be had at some point in the draft and at the same time, know how much some other team wants pick 10. Maybe there's a deal to make there. Get McGee out and still get Lively + rotation piece + another pick.

I'm already bracing myself for a trade down because the FO lacks foresight plus the pressure of immediate results would be upon them. They will go for a proven player in exchange for pick 10. My only hope is that they do not trade out of the first. A trade down would be good. If Lively is available later in the first, I don't think the Mavs pass on a young C.