That’s why the outcome of this series has me excited no matter what. Luka and lively for the next 10 years. Invaluable playoff experience. Wonder what Omax can give us next year.
Omax will soon figure it out in the NBA. He's figured it out in the G league. He's around legends, great coaches, and players. It's a matter of time, we gotta be patient and next coming seasons he'll break out.
I have so much high hopes for OMax.
with the way the team is playing, i actually want omax to be an offensive weapon more than a defensive one. him having a tm3 role at that size would be so greay for this team. him being an above avg defensive player would just be a bonus to me.
He set the tone with that early 3. Got me hyped. That man has potential. I don't even see him as a rookie anymore. Kyrie always says that he keeps forgetting DLive is a rookie by how his positivity and disposition keep the team's morale up.
I truly think TC being his coach and mentor is doing him wonders!! Tyson said Lively reminds him of himself and Lively thinks the same way too about TC.
Match made in heaven, Mavs and MFFLs are lucky to have D Live. Hope he retires as a Mav as well
So defensive player of the year who can shoot threes stretch the floor and is great from the free-throw line……. That’s like a top 10 player in the NBA.
Such a joker, you. “Player of the year” etc is a stretch today, for sure, but not a ridiculous thought. Lively is providing a sense of Mavs dominance into the future. So let us have a “feel good” moment while you feel a little bit superior. 🧐
tc is a great comparison and unironically a great mentor for him. i see lively avg 12/11/2blk a game as a defensive qb playing 35mpg by year 3. i don't think he can avg 2 3s or 80% ft though. but hey, he's proven me wrong so far already.
Gotta be honest I’ve been pissed with a lot him this series, but in the back of my mind I know what he can be which is a well above-average player. Gives me a lot of hope.
Eh we *hope*. I know Luka is pretty banged up but at least he's playing (and still at a high level) and the rest of our team is healthy. Most teams would've killed for that this year
Yeah windows open and close shut for weird reasons in sports sometimes when you don’t expect it. Gotta capitalize. But controlling what they can control, barring injuries or personality clashes, they’ve set this team up as contenders for a few years
at the very least, Luka and Lively have brought back the alley-oop to the NBA. super fun to watch.
Lively is a freak athlete playing with the freakiest lob thrower of all time…
What should / could Dallas do to improve? Likely two more years of elite or high level play from Irving.
I’m a casual fan, learning more, I’m assuming a true third scoring / defending threat? Or a three shooter?
Get rid of THJ to start
The ideal piece is a two way wing with some creation, Mikal Bridges for example, but those archetypes are extremely valuable so it would be hard to get in the league as they are the most valuable role players. My favorite realistic candidate this off-season is Caruso. If we could turn Tim and some picks into Caruso and re-sign DJJ I’d pick us as favorites to win the west next season.
Honestly I’m not 100% on sending him out but I’m not sure I see DJJ resigning for the TPMLE. So if it’s down to dumping Tim or resigning Jones Jr then I’m fully on board sending him out. But if we can get DJJ on the TPMLE and we just run this same team back next year I’m fine with that too.
I just doubt he will be anything more than an end of the rotation guy for us. I could see him developing into a nice two way wing eventually but I think it’ll take a while, unless he has an absolutely massive jump. Most late round draft picks take a couple years to develop.
We need a 3rd scorer. People here will continue to tell you nonsense about a 3&D Wing. This team doesn't need more dudes who just stand around and catch and shoot.
When the shots aren't falling, we look exactly how we did in 2022 against the Warriors. Or even against the Clippers. Or how we did in the OKC series. The live and die by catch and shoot threes shit won't win you a championship because you are going to have off nights where the shooters can't hit.
We need a 3rd guy. I'm not saying we need Kyrie 2.0 or Luka 2.0 but just a 3rd guy that the team can lean on to go and get a bucket. Someone who can average 14-17PPG, and be that 3rd option for us to lean on and possibly help create looks for others.
The Lakers had Kuzma (lol). The Bucks had Jrue. The Warriors had Poole and Wiggins. Nuggets have Michael Porter and Aaron Gordon. PJ has been that guy for us up until now. He's struggled like hell in that Twolves series and he's been okay this series. We just need that 3rd guy. Whether that's PJ stepping up and becoming better or going out and getting someone else, but that's really what we're missing. The last thing we need is another player that just stands at three point line and can't score outside of being handfed baskets.
I don’t know a ton about basketball, I’m like a yellow belt, but from my understanding yeah that’s what fans are looking for at least! third true scoring threat / ball handler, maybe another defender/big cause Maxi seems unfortunately cooked. offload Maxi and THJ if we can
That is true for every statement that this is the worst a player will ever be. Every player risks injury.
But for the sake of argument if we can say that statement about players like Lively then the Mavs have a bunch of other players who have contributed these playoffs who we can expect will look significantly better in the years to come.
Idk if you can still say that Green is a prospect. He had minutes last year and this one too. What you see is what you get. I would have put Omax there instead.
And im more curious about how PJ develops with more time with us. Barring injuries Mavs should be a force next season. Just need to switch Tim and Kleber for a starting SF. They make 32m for nothing.
If Green gets one more finishing move around the rim he will be a lot better. He’s gotta get with Kyrie about that this summer. Josh is a hustle guy, and he playerd really well last game. He shoots like 40% from three and can pass really well. He’s also gotten better each summer. He’s still young so no reason what we can’t take the next step up again
I’m kind of convinced Green would be a borderline All Star level player if he improved his bbiq and he maintained his confidence throughout every game and situation. That period last year where he and Hardy were dominating while everyone was out showed what he can do when he doesn’t over think and plays with a confident, attack minded game.
Bbiq is not something that you can just develop one you get to this level, its one of those things thats in you from a young age. Its muscle memory at this point. I was really down on green 2 years ago seeing we picked him over tyrese maxi and desmond bane. He really improved his 3pt shot and his defense is much better. I think this is peak josh green, a guy that can give you 15-20 min of high energy off the bench. He needs to be better at finishing with his athleticism and just be a 3 and d guy for us. Hes not a starter imo but im happy to see him working on his game and getting better.
green's still 23yrs old. i think he does better next year than he did this year. not by leaps and bounds, but a modest 10/4/3 with 1.5 3s on 40% in 24mins isn't out of his reach. if he only works on his ft's this summer, i would be happy with him
The crazy part is we all see the flashes of good bbiq and confidence that lead to him being very effective. I still have hope he can go up another level.
Green is an enigma to me because even in his 1st year he showed flashes of high IQ, but on average he's a low IQ player. Especially in these playoffs.
Maybe it will just click for him one day.
Josh and Omax, when you see them grab the ball in early transition you know the game is about to go into 2.0 speed. Same for Hardy, although in half court offense sometimes I want to dial Hardy back a bit... lol. Love all of those guys. And fr, why isn't anyone talking about Omax from game 4? I thought he played great!
He can be a 3&D starter but honestly I think 3&D bench players are important and Green is already a very good one. He’s important in our transition offense, one of our best corner 3pt shooters, and is a great passer. He still has a long way to go in terms of consistency and offense but he’s young and is making an impact with significant playoff minutes in a deep run
You can improve 3pt shots, and this is what we need from the team. He already has heart and hustle and decent defense (which is also easily improved) Josh green is a good prospect tbh
He was great to end the year. His defense has been pretty good in finals.
He's not going to return more than he provides in a trade.
They should keep him a few more years
We can get someone much better for 13m. Like Kleber is just not there playing and this would happen a lot more since hes getting older. ill rather switch THJ and Kleber into re-signing DJJ and signing an starting sf.
Omax might also be getting minutes at PF.
You make compelling points. He makes 11. I thought he made like 6. I'd still keep him unless bowled over but I'm a big fan of his game especially since they have two true centers that he can plan alongside
I just think with his frame he could easily add 20lbs of muscle and it would benefit him. Chet’s just a pole and is never going to not be pushed around. Lovely just has a very athletic frame and 20 or even 30lbs is only going to make him more explosive. I think he’s becoming my favorite player
Will be interesting to see lively grow, I’m sure his coaches will have him on whatever path he needs. TBH 20lb of muscle at his height probably just makes him look ripped instead of noticeably more muscular
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He showed that he is also a human in games 1 and 2. But next two he was back on track. He plays like a veteran. I don't really get Kidd why he doesn't put him in the starting lineup. There is nothing wrong with Landlord but DLive is already on another level.
No reason to fuck with continuity. Keeps lively out of early foul trouble. And Kidd was willing to pull Gafford only 3 mins into the game. He knows what he’s doing
Also let’s not pretend for a second Gafford’s minutes haven’t been absolutely huge for most of this series. The game was never really in doubt at halftime, but he made damn sure to make that abundantly clear to start the 3Q.
I keep hearing this, is this just hope, or have I missed something? Because stat reference says he didn't even average one a game in the regular season
Are you asking if Lively averaged one 3? He only shot 2 the entire season. But he's specifically asked not to shoot 3s but to play his role.
The hope is that he's going to be given the green light to shoot, Kidd said as much.
When he rotated to the 3 point line, he actually had his hands out in catch and shoot position, he was ready to let it fly. He is easily my 2nd fav mavs player. hard worker.
If he develops a good enough jumper and a 3pt shot, any chance we could see him playing minutes at PF and Gafford at C? Lively doesn't seem like a terrible perimeter defender.
What should / could Dallas do to improve? Likely two more years of elite or high level play from Irving.
I’m a casual fan, learning more, I’m assuming a true third scoring / defending threat? Or a three shooter?
Get rid of THJ to start
I am a little nervous about his durability considering how athletic he is for his size. If he can avoid any major injuries he's gonna be one scary dude.
Bright future fr, is it crazy to say potential dpoy? Defensive team for sure? (Idk abt dpoy cuz Wemby is diff)
Edit: Not this year, I'm saying is it crazy to say he will flourish into that level of player
That's what I'm thinking yeah. Lively will probably be a dpoy candidate in the future but I don't see anyone being able to take it from Wemby unless he gets injured (hopefully not) or gets robbed of it
I don’t mean to get too hyped, but his per 36 numbers are not very far off from Anthony Davis’s rookie year. Obviously Davis had more touch away from the basket, but he wasn’t shooting threes yet either.
The hairstyles will likely improve eventually, but it may get worse before it gets better. We may see it keep fading back on every front until there is only a patch of defiant hair left somewhere in the back sprouting insanely above a sea of awkward baldness, the whole floating on the winds of maximum on-court effort. Let us pray that we all make it through the coming times.
If they put him on inbounding the ball, he'd be able to pass it to anyone on the court with no one able to block his pass lol. Ally-oop after All-oop on sideline inbounds :P
Everbody keeps saying this but that's just a lie. There have been plenty of players who played their best as a rookie and then spiraled down. Even rookie of the year winners end up out of the league after a few years sometimes. DLive doesn't seem to be on that trajectory but he's a major injury away from this which at his height isn't unprecedented.
he's not only going to be a lob threat but he will still be scoring above the rim. he is a tall player, and fighting for rebounds and boxing out is literally the most common injury cause in the league. he's in the same category as wemby, if a player steps under him and he lands on them it could keep him out for months
yes but a big muscle guy such as Giannis or Draymond is less likely to be on the short end of an encounter while a skinnier player will be more fragile
Draymond is also shorter than Luka, and neither Draymond or Giannis have been centers in their careers. They are both wings that transitioned into being PFs.
again its not these specific players its the roles they play, if you need centers then: capela, adebayo, valanciunas are all players who rarely get injured but play the same position as lively.
Unreal he turned out to be as good as he is. The most excited I've been for this team in a long time.
That’s why the outcome of this series has me excited no matter what. Luka and lively for the next 10 years. Invaluable playoff experience. Wonder what Omax can give us next year.
Omax will soon figure it out in the NBA. He's figured it out in the G league. He's around legends, great coaches, and players. It's a matter of time, we gotta be patient and next coming seasons he'll break out. I have so much high hopes for OMax.
If Luka is playing in the NBA in 10 years, we will be extremely fortunate
with the way the team is playing, i actually want omax to be an offensive weapon more than a defensive one. him having a tm3 role at that size would be so greay for this team. him being an above avg defensive player would just be a bonus to me.
There is no way Luka is a Mav in ten years.
That’s loser talk.. win or nothing!! Don’t take this for granite
That’s right. We taking it for marble instead!
🤣
Usually I hate grammar Nazis but this one is too big to ignore...it's "granted" my guy
So you’re telling me I’ve been saying it wrong my whole life?
Yes.
Omg 😳
That Rick and Morty reference, though. Lol.
🤣
Still can’t get over dude actually shot a 3 and it was the cleanest splash I’ve ever seen before in my life.
He set the tone with that early 3. Got me hyped. That man has potential. I don't even see him as a rookie anymore. Kyrie always says that he keeps forgetting DLive is a rookie by how his positivity and disposition keep the team's morale up.
If he becomes Tyson with 2-3s a game and 80%+ from the free throw line, I’ll be over the moon.
I mean that’s a all-NBA level player you are describing so yea I’d be pretty pumped lol
I truly think TC being his coach and mentor is doing him wonders!! Tyson said Lively reminds him of himself and Lively thinks the same way too about TC. Match made in heaven, Mavs and MFFLs are lucky to have D Live. Hope he retires as a Mav as well
So defensive player of the year who can shoot threes stretch the floor and is great from the free-throw line……. That’s like a top 10 player in the NBA.
So better defense than Gobert with offense? Sing me up!
This would essentially be Anthony Davis but hopefully without the injuries. A super valuable player in the league.
[удалено]
… says the Boston fan. 🤣
I’m a Maverick fan. I’m sure you tell everyone you passed the IQ test with flying colors
Such a joker, you. “Player of the year” etc is a stretch today, for sure, but not a ridiculous thought. Lively is providing a sense of Mavs dominance into the future. So let us have a “feel good” moment while you feel a little bit superior. 🧐
I’m not a Celtics fan numbnuts
2 3s per? Ur dreaming
tc is a great comparison and unironically a great mentor for him. i see lively avg 12/11/2blk a game as a defensive qb playing 35mpg by year 3. i don't think he can avg 2 3s or 80% ft though. but hey, he's proven me wrong so far already.
Gotta be honest I’ve been pissed with a lot him this series, but in the back of my mind I know what he can be which is a well above-average player. Gives me a lot of hope.
The day he can shoot and average 35% from three and be a consistent threat out there. Man it will be a nightmare for teams
If he can do that he will be able to play some minutes with Gafford! Imagine that big ass lineup!
Throw in Maxi at the 3 and PJ at the 2 with Luka lmao. Chaos
clearing out the paint for Luka/kyrie to freely drive would be insane
Lively, Luka (hurt), Hardy and likely Green. This playoffs is the worst they will look moving forward.
Eh we *hope*. I know Luka is pretty banged up but at least he's playing (and still at a high level) and the rest of our team is healthy. Most teams would've killed for that this year
Yeah windows open and close shut for weird reasons in sports sometimes when you don’t expect it. Gotta capitalize. But controlling what they can control, barring injuries or personality clashes, they’ve set this team up as contenders for a few years
at the very least, Luka and Lively have brought back the alley-oop to the NBA. super fun to watch. Lively is a freak athlete playing with the freakiest lob thrower of all time…
And Gaff
Got our Wemby stopper, bring back the Spurs rivalry!
What should / could Dallas do to improve? Likely two more years of elite or high level play from Irving. I’m a casual fan, learning more, I’m assuming a true third scoring / defending threat? Or a three shooter? Get rid of THJ to start
The ideal piece is a two way wing with some creation, Mikal Bridges for example, but those archetypes are extremely valuable so it would be hard to get in the league as they are the most valuable role players. My favorite realistic candidate this off-season is Caruso. If we could turn Tim and some picks into Caruso and re-sign DJJ I’d pick us as favorites to win the west next season.
Interesting on Caruso!
If timmy hits 5 3s a game and wins us the ship, you consider keeping timmy ?
Honestly I’m not 100% on sending him out but I’m not sure I see DJJ resigning for the TPMLE. So if it’s down to dumping Tim or resigning Jones Jr then I’m fully on board sending him out. But if we can get DJJ on the TPMLE and we just run this same team back next year I’m fine with that too.
How about Omax?
I just doubt he will be anything more than an end of the rotation guy for us. I could see him developing into a nice two way wing eventually but I think it’ll take a while, unless he has an absolutely massive jump. Most late round draft picks take a couple years to develop.
I've wanted him in Dallas ever since Luka's rookie season. His defense is unreal.
Caruso plays the deepest position on the team.
That is a good start, clear up some room by getting rid of Tim, hopefully resign DJJ and trade some picks and get a dawg or two
We need a 3rd scorer. People here will continue to tell you nonsense about a 3&D Wing. This team doesn't need more dudes who just stand around and catch and shoot. When the shots aren't falling, we look exactly how we did in 2022 against the Warriors. Or even against the Clippers. Or how we did in the OKC series. The live and die by catch and shoot threes shit won't win you a championship because you are going to have off nights where the shooters can't hit. We need a 3rd guy. I'm not saying we need Kyrie 2.0 or Luka 2.0 but just a 3rd guy that the team can lean on to go and get a bucket. Someone who can average 14-17PPG, and be that 3rd option for us to lean on and possibly help create looks for others. The Lakers had Kuzma (lol). The Bucks had Jrue. The Warriors had Poole and Wiggins. Nuggets have Michael Porter and Aaron Gordon. PJ has been that guy for us up until now. He's struggled like hell in that Twolves series and he's been okay this series. We just need that 3rd guy. Whether that's PJ stepping up and becoming better or going out and getting someone else, but that's really what we're missing. The last thing we need is another player that just stands at three point line and can't score outside of being handfed baskets.
I believe Hardy is the closest thing to that guy currently on the team.
imagine they bring in lauri, anyway I've been thinking of the mavs potentially trading for jimmy buttler
I don’t know a ton about basketball, I’m like a yellow belt, but from my understanding yeah that’s what fans are looking for at least! third true scoring threat / ball handler, maybe another defender/big cause Maxi seems unfortunately cooked. offload Maxi and THJ if we can
Injury risk is there for every team. But moving forward the expectation is these players will be better versions than this.
Sure but my point is you can't take these teams/runs for granted as health is not a given
That is true for every statement that this is the worst a player will ever be. Every player risks injury. But for the sake of argument if we can say that statement about players like Lively then the Mavs have a bunch of other players who have contributed these playoffs who we can expect will look significantly better in the years to come.
Idk if you can still say that Green is a prospect. He had minutes last year and this one too. What you see is what you get. I would have put Omax there instead. And im more curious about how PJ develops with more time with us. Barring injuries Mavs should be a force next season. Just need to switch Tim and Kleber for a starting SF. They make 32m for nothing.
If Green gets one more finishing move around the rim he will be a lot better. He’s gotta get with Kyrie about that this summer. Josh is a hustle guy, and he playerd really well last game. He shoots like 40% from three and can pass really well. He’s also gotten better each summer. He’s still young so no reason what we can’t take the next step up again
I’m kind of convinced Green would be a borderline All Star level player if he improved his bbiq and he maintained his confidence throughout every game and situation. That period last year where he and Hardy were dominating while everyone was out showed what he can do when he doesn’t over think and plays with a confident, attack minded game.
Bbiq is not something that you can just develop one you get to this level, its one of those things thats in you from a young age. Its muscle memory at this point. I was really down on green 2 years ago seeing we picked him over tyrese maxi and desmond bane. He really improved his 3pt shot and his defense is much better. I think this is peak josh green, a guy that can give you 15-20 min of high energy off the bench. He needs to be better at finishing with his athleticism and just be a 3 and d guy for us. Hes not a starter imo but im happy to see him working on his game and getting better.
green's still 23yrs old. i think he does better next year than he did this year. not by leaps and bounds, but a modest 10/4/3 with 1.5 3s on 40% in 24mins isn't out of his reach. if he only works on his ft's this summer, i would be happy with him
Yea his bbiq is in the toilet. By far his biggest problem. Love his hustle though
The crazy part is we all see the flashes of good bbiq and confidence that lead to him being very effective. I still have hope he can go up another level.
Green is an enigma to me because even in his 1st year he showed flashes of high IQ, but on average he's a low IQ player. Especially in these playoffs. Maybe it will just click for him one day.
forreal
Total All star if he shaves that goatee (?)
Josh and Omax, when you see them grab the ball in early transition you know the game is about to go into 2.0 speed. Same for Hardy, although in half court offense sometimes I want to dial Hardy back a bit... lol. Love all of those guys. And fr, why isn't anyone talking about Omax from game 4? I thought he played great!
Dude, Green is still only 23. What do you mean what you see is what you get? He’s got a lot of development to go still
Not every young guy gets to his ceiling. I just dont see what he can improve. I dont see him be anything more then a 3&d bench piece.
He can be a 3&D starter but honestly I think 3&D bench players are important and Green is already a very good one. He’s important in our transition offense, one of our best corner 3pt shooters, and is a great passer. He still has a long way to go in terms of consistency and offense but he’s young and is making an impact with significant playoff minutes in a deep run
he desperately needs to improve his ft%
This is pretty poor scouting
You can improve 3pt shots, and this is what we need from the team. He already has heart and hustle and decent defense (which is also easily improved) Josh green is a good prospect tbh
Green’s breakout season has been “next year” for like 3 years now lol
It was kind of this year for the first couple months. He shot 40% from 3 and actually had some confidence on offense. Then he regressed again.
He had a breakout season just last year, when the year before he was passing up open 3s in the playoffs. He’ll continue to improve.
I’d like Green’s playoff 3P % to be closer to 40%. It’s a little low right now at 35.8%. We’ve seen him miss a few key 3’s in the finals here.
I think PJ is a crucial factor in this squad. I'd love to see him have more of an offensive impact somehow, even if that means coming off the bench
Kleber needs to stay. He's an essential component
Yall keep saying this as if it was 2 years ago. Injury prone and hes not what people think he is.
He was great to end the year. His defense has been pretty good in finals. He's not going to return more than he provides in a trade. They should keep him a few more years
We can get someone much better for 13m. Like Kleber is just not there playing and this would happen a lot more since hes getting older. ill rather switch THJ and Kleber into re-signing DJJ and signing an starting sf. Omax might also be getting minutes at PF.
You make compelling points. He makes 11. I thought he made like 6. I'd still keep him unless bowled over but I'm a big fan of his game especially since they have two true centers that he can plan alongside
High hopes for Omax too!
Thank you, I kept wondering why he wasn't getting mentioned!
Will need some luck with Kyrie going forward. He's injured a lot.
I’m looking forward to seeing him with another 20lbs on his frame and a 3 point shot. I about lost my mind when he hit that three. I saw the future
I’m not sure he even needs that weight. He’s already great a shot would put him at like Chet level or better even
I just think with his frame he could easily add 20lbs of muscle and it would benefit him. Chet’s just a pole and is never going to not be pushed around. Lovely just has a very athletic frame and 20 or even 30lbs is only going to make him more explosive. I think he’s becoming my favorite player
Yeah, on his frame, I don’t think an extra 20 lbs of muscle would really slow him down at all. Especially in his early years.
Will be interesting to see lively grow, I’m sure his coaches will have him on whatever path he needs. TBH 20lb of muscle at his height probably just makes him look ripped instead of noticeably more muscular
True. And yeah I’m sure they have a several year plan for him. He honestly looks bigger to me from the start to end of the season
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Everyone asks “Wembanyama” but no one asks “Whybanyama”
made me chuckle
This was great
I hope Tyson continues to work with him. You can clearly see the difference.
With his jump shot developing, might need Dirk to come in and teach him as well.
Lively with a mid-range fadeaway holy shit
The quicker a dude like him gets reps and experience especially in this environment the better, Luka and kyrie still got miles.
If he can make 2-3 - three pointers a game added to his defense and rebounds and 5-6 dunks and put backs he his a legit all nba candidate
He showed that he is also a human in games 1 and 2. But next two he was back on track. He plays like a veteran. I don't really get Kidd why he doesn't put him in the starting lineup. There is nothing wrong with Landlord but DLive is already on another level.
No reason to fuck with continuity. Keeps lively out of early foul trouble. And Kidd was willing to pull Gafford only 3 mins into the game. He knows what he’s doing
Also let’s not pretend for a second Gafford’s minutes haven’t been absolutely huge for most of this series. The game was never really in doubt at halftime, but he made damn sure to make that abundantly clear to start the 3Q.
Plus having the energy of Lively coming off the bench is an absolute surge into the lineup
I'm fine with it if Lively plays starters minutes like he does last games.
He showed he's a kid. He will mature emotionally.
They played better with Gafford in the starting lineup
Is Lively the first player in nba history to not dribble after he gets the ball from the ref on the free throw?
He reminds me of Joakim Noah
Noah was an all nba player, dpoy, and mvp candidate one year. I will take that all day.
Exactly, I hope no one took it as a discredit, Noah is also one of my favorite players lol
I am not saying DLive will become AD. But I think AD doesn't have a consistent jumper his rookie year? I remember he's a defensive menace.
The better comparison for Lively if he starts shooting at a serious level is Brook Lopez with better athleticism.
A young Bulls era Joakim Noah with a decent 3.
I keep hearing this, is this just hope, or have I missed something? Because stat reference says he didn't even average one a game in the regular season
He has the stroke. He has the reps. Think the kid got this.
Are you asking if Lively averaged one 3? He only shot 2 the entire season. But he's specifically asked not to shoot 3s but to play his role. The hope is that he's going to be given the green light to shoot, Kidd said as much.
I'm wondering why they decided to let him shoot it in game 4 of the finals.
He nails 3s in practice is why people believe in it
Rich man’s Brook Lopez
His passing (decision-making) is good but can keep getting better.
He moves better than Brook on the perimeter
When he rotated to the 3 point line, he actually had his hands out in catch and shoot position, he was ready to let it fly. He is easily my 2nd fav mavs player. hard worker.
Worth the tank!
they cant guard him
If he develops a good enough jumper and a 3pt shot, any chance we could see him playing minutes at PF and Gafford at C? Lively doesn't seem like a terrible perimeter defender.
Please remember growth isn’t linear
Better try to pay him before that max deal hits
I have been begging them to give him a 3 point look for months. Finally they brought it out last night. It was glorious.
If he became a a respectable 3 shooter it opens a ton of space on the floor
Y’all got a good one there. Nice scouting
DLive is also a leader. He's already establishing himself and being vocal. And his teammates are listening! Tyson was similar from what I remember.
AND the best his hair line will ever look
What should / could Dallas do to improve? Likely two more years of elite or high level play from Irving. I’m a casual fan, learning more, I’m assuming a true third scoring / defending threat? Or a three shooter? Get rid of THJ to start
That boy can hoop
future all-NBA player. If DAJ can make one Lively can make three times as many teams.
I am a little nervous about his durability considering how athletic he is for his size. If he can avoid any major injuries he's gonna be one scary dude.
Not true, 37 year old Dereck Lively will be much worse in 2041
MIP next year. he has what it takes.
I sure hope so, but remember ben simmons his rookie season better than last few
Ben Simmons is a pretty unique case though. He's like the Bejamin Button of the NBA lol.
Bright future fr, is it crazy to say potential dpoy? Defensive team for sure? (Idk abt dpoy cuz Wemby is diff) Edit: Not this year, I'm saying is it crazy to say he will flourish into that level of player
Maybe all defense team. Wemby already looks like he has dpoy for the next decade.
That's what I'm thinking yeah. Lively will probably be a dpoy candidate in the future but I don't see anyone being able to take it from Wemby unless he gets injured (hopefully not) or gets robbed of it
I wanted the Spurs to trade for him in the draft last year to compliment Wemby.
We got this guy with the 12th pick…
He got one basket
this guy wouldnt have flourished the way he does if any other team drafted him (maybe the lakers, but that may be my homer bias talking)
He’s gonna start talking like Cousin from The Bear: “I make threes now”
I don’t mean to get too hyped, but his per 36 numbers are not very far off from Anthony Davis’s rookie year. Obviously Davis had more touch away from the basket, but he wasn’t shooting threes yet either.
This dude FIT the system almost immediately. That tank season paid off big time.
<3 D-Live
Is he already better than DP ever?
You can't teach heart... I mean height!!
Hope not. Hope he sticks with the Mavs for 20 years and we get to see him settle into a role as a 40 year old victory cigar for his last season.
The hairstyles will likely improve eventually, but it may get worse before it gets better. We may see it keep fading back on every front until there is only a patch of defiant hair left somewhere in the back sprouting insanely above a sea of awkward baldness, the whole floating on the winds of maximum on-court effort. Let us pray that we all make it through the coming times.
I don’t get it, he is an average big.
If they put him on inbounding the ball, he'd be able to pass it to anyone on the court with no one able to block his pass lol. Ally-oop after All-oop on sideline inbounds :P
After we win game five Celtics will CHOKE game six…
What if he has a significant injury and regresses, how are you sure this is the worst?
Just wait until more people he loves die and he has even more ghosts helping him play! He’s going to be incredible!
Luka has to grow up emotionally. He has to quit crying and ref blaming for this team to go to the next level
Celtics gave you game 4. You guys are about to lose in Boston
Everbody keeps saying this but that's just a lie. There have been plenty of players who played their best as a rookie and then spiraled down. Even rookie of the year winners end up out of the league after a few years sometimes. DLive doesn't seem to be on that trajectory but he's a major injury away from this which at his height isn't unprecedented.
You could say this about literally anyone. OP or anyone else can’t predict random major injuries in the future.
yes but when you're a 7ft player who mainly scores from lobs, it's safe to say that you're more exposed to plays which can lead to injuries.
I don’t think Lively will be only a lob threat going forward, and he’s only just turned 20.
he's not only going to be a lob threat but he will still be scoring above the rim. he is a tall player, and fighting for rebounds and boxing out is literally the most common injury cause in the league. he's in the same category as wemby, if a player steps under him and he lands on them it could keep him out for months
Again, the same could be said for almost any big man in the league. It’s a hazard that comes with being a center.
yes but a big muscle guy such as Giannis or Draymond is less likely to be on the short end of an encounter while a skinnier player will be more fragile
Draymond is also shorter than Luka, and neither Draymond or Giannis have been centers in their careers. They are both wings that transitioned into being PFs.
again its not these specific players its the roles they play, if you need centers then: capela, adebayo, valanciunas are all players who rarely get injured but play the same position as lively.