11-12-2023, 10:00 AM
If Nico says "rebounding", we should listen to him. Seriously, what are the chances Lively holds up physically and plays 80 games?
I think one of the reasons Derrick Jones managed to overcome those first two games of the season and still remain in the starting lineup is that he was at least a minor threat in the paint and could rebound a little. If either Lively or Jones gets injured, rebounding and paint defense takes a nosedive. Powell is really decent when playing a small lineup, but doesn't provide anything in the paint. There is no other reliable player to do what Lively does.
I think one of the reasons Derrick Jones managed to overcome those first two games of the season and still remain in the starting lineup is that he was at least a minor threat in the paint and could rebound a little. If either Lively or Jones gets injured, rebounding and paint defense takes a nosedive. Powell is really decent when playing a small lineup, but doesn't provide anything in the paint. There is no other reliable player to do what Lively does.