(07-06-2023, 01:41 PM)mvossman Wrote: I'm not saying Lively is the next Jarett Allen, but there are a lot of similarities. Lively was more impactful in his last two months at Duke than Allen ever was in his one year at Texas. Allen was a positive impact player at 20 minutes a game his rookie season and started his second. Different players grow at different rates and there is no telling what Lively's development path is going to be, but I don't think you have to assume he is going the Green route. The fact that he is considered a high character due and hard working bodes well.
I don’t see a 3 year development plan for Lively. It may be a while before he fills out and develops his overall game on both ends but his particular skill set on the defensive end is transferable and should allow him to see the floor sooner than later IMO.
The bigger concern for me is between the ears. I saw an interview where he was asked about his start at Duke and his reply was it took him some time to develop his confidence. He didn’t specify whether it was confidence in his calf or confidence with the transition to college basketball (or both) but I found the comment interesting.
If I’m the Mav’s, I try to manage early expectations and put him in situations where he can have some early success. He is going to get beat up and it may be ugly early. Let the guy swim in the kiddie pool for a while and pick your spots wisely.
I don’t have the same concerns with OMP. I think he can carry more minutes.
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