Weary-Bonus-1552

504 | 20 hours ago

Man this guy’s already been forgotten, he was so good in that ‘24 finals run

MstrNixx | TOR

226 | 20 hours ago

The amount of games where him and Gafford would just go perfect from the field from Luka feeding them was absurd.

I can’t imagine a better Spread PnR player than Luka during that run. It’s missing pretty heavily from his current play

Weary-Bonus-1552

53 | 19 hours ago

Fr, did yk Gafford almost broke Wilt‘s record of most consecutive field goals made that year? He had 33, and was 2 away from tying Wilt.

PotatEXTomatEX

34 | 16 hours ago

And he missed the record in the game Luka missed lmao

Ok_Turn6757 | LAL

50 | 19 hours ago

That’s just Ayton

MstrNixx | TOR

7 | 19 hours ago

I mean, yes.

But like, he’s not doing that turtle thing he was doing in that run either.

nerdymen242424 | LAL

51 | 18 hours ago

Mavs medical staff fucked his career up, I deadass thought he’d be a star

BGMDF8248 | CHI

12 | 14 hours ago

He was the perfect modern center.

Kimi7 | LAL

4 | 17 hours ago

Why it is medical teams fault?

mcg20k | DAL

64 | 17 hours ago

He had a fracture. Mavs staff said he had a sprain so it got even more fucked when they were trying to get him to play.

PotatEXTomatEX

46 | 16 hours ago

They’re the people who cleared him for play with a fractured foot.

The same Medical Team Nico brought in after firing the old one because they were close to Luka. Said Medical Team is now at the Knicks… ranked 1st in health.

Dymatizeee | NYK

7 | 19 hours ago

Luka magic

frankcostello666 | LAL

5 | 19 hours ago

everybody who saw their finals run knows that lively isn’t just a luka merchant

55555_55555 | NYK

38 | 19 hours ago

I mean, offensively, he pretty much is, but he has real defensive value too.

Dymatizeee | NYK

-4 | 19 hours ago

How did he fare after Luka left

sptagnew | LAL

23 | 19 hours ago

He’s played 11 games total since then

WhichHoes | GSW

5 | 19 hours ago

To shreds you say?

Shepher27 | MIN

2 | 19 hours ago

He was the key player in them beating the wolves. Without him the wolves win game one and two and it’s a whole different series.

Odd_Calligrapher_572 | Slovenia

1 | 7 hours ago

Hopefully his is not going to be one of those what if stories. He has talent, he’s a hard worker. The amount of misfortune he already had in his life … can’t wish him anything but all the best!

MJRuinedMyChildhood | CHA

-20 | 20 hours ago

He’s always been worse than Gafford

Salvalicious252 | NBA

27 | 20 hours ago

Lively was significantly more impactful than Gafford in that run

YoungBuck2010 | DAL

18 | 19 hours ago

Horrible take lol. Gafford is a worse rebounder and defender than Lively. Lively is also a much better short roll player since he’s able to pass out of that action.

Obviously both were Luka merchants but if Lively is healthy he’s the starting center for most teams in the league. Problem is bro can’t stay healthy.

YSLAnunoby | TOR

3 | 19 hours ago

If your only metric for player ability is finishing I guess

Dabithebeast

255 | 20 hours ago

Nico Harrison lowkey ruined Lively’s career

OrganicHunt952

201 | 20 hours ago

Yeah their medical team misdiagnosed him made him play more games whilst injured lmfao had to have another surgery because of it. All of those guys have been fired and replaced now thank god.

catperson77789 | LAL

62 | 19 hours ago

They kinda also did the same with AD lol. Crazy how letting him play basically brought down AD’s value straight to the gutter

crenzler

7 | 9 hours ago

You might be right regarding ADs initial injury after the trade, they rushed him back there. However even next season this guy was always out due to some random, unrelated stuff. He literally had to miss months with some random hand injury trying to defend a Lauri Markkannen drive. He’s just made of glass, that’s not on Dallas’ mediacal staff.

swizznastic |

4 | 19 hours ago

But the owners didnt get replaced. Who do you think makes the decisions to play things out riskier rather than safe, especially for things like injuries?

PotatEXTomatEX

9 | 16 hours ago

What did get replaced was the Medical Team.

Rockness88

5 | 10 hours ago

It was Nico, he was the one forcing them back too soon. The fact he’s gone is the most important part. He also wanted Luka back after just a few weeks, even though he needed months to get healthy. He even tried to force him on a long road trip even though he needed constant care to rehabilitate his leg. Nico was an egomaniac who shattered the Mavs future in every way imaginable.

swizznastic |

0 | 4 hours ago

Thats so convenient, one guy was the bad egg and now that he’s gone its all better? Thats not how billion dollar organizations operate. It was likelier a culture/ownership issue in the mavs than one guy making his way to the top of the power hierarchy and suddenly losing his mind.

YoungBuck2010 | DAL

47 | 19 hours ago

Highkey.

Horrible medical staff left him constantly injured and traded away the perfect point guard next to him.

lalakingmalibog | DAL

22 | 19 hours ago

Nico Harrison is a habitual career-ruiner

Downtown-Hat8909

19 | 20 hours ago

nothing lowkey about this

CazOnReddit | TOR

11 | 19 hours ago

The key is so high it was legally declared a threat to local air space

I_Set_3_Alarms | BOS

9 | 20 hours ago

The curse that keeps on cursing

The1Drumheller | OKC

44 | 20 hours ago

Crazy how good he looked against us in 2024 playoffs. Made me so upset at the time because we traded Lively for Wallace and were getting demolished on the boards by Lively + Gafford vs just Chet.

Hope he can come back healthy soon.

CurrentRoster | WAS

4 | 7 hours ago

that whole series would’ve been like crack if okc was as hated as they are now, also BOO gordon hayward

Lansdowngrove | MIN

0 | 6 hours ago

Same against Wolves.

RollGata

86 | 20 hours ago

big man with game dependent on vertical play with persistent foot problems. It’s a gg

ExtraLeading3376

11 | 17 hours ago

all went downhill for him after that gobert quote

sbstooge | MEM

81 | 20 hours ago

Imagine going to the finals as a rookie with a team that looks to be set as perennial contenders, only for your franchise superstar and spoon feeder to make history for one of the wildest and unpredictable trades of all time, and missing nearly the next 2 full years with a foot injury.

I really hope he has the right support network around him, it’s not over for him but it is a fall from grace that can become a slippery slope, rehab and recovery is a long and mentally painful battle, especially when pain killers, meds and other drugs come into the fray

isaacaggrey | DAL

68 | 19 hours ago

He also lost his mother during this time period.

ASomewhatGoodCitizen | DEN

-100 | 18 hours ago

Is his mother good at lobs? If not Luka is surely a bigger loss?

Edifyr

42 | 17 hours ago

Hurt people hurt people. Or you’re just stupid af. Either way I hope you get better.

vrilro

8 | 8 hours ago

What the fuck

Paralystic | MIN

5 | 7 hours ago

Name does not check out

Moonbar5 | POR

1 | 4 hours ago

Least sociopathic nuggets fan

elonakamoto | NBA

5 | 20 hours ago

Sucks, too, to have that happen while still on a rookie contract. It’s $22m, so not a tragedy, but still.

DarkoDragicevic

-14 | 19 hours ago

That team never looked like that

TheWestRemembers | LAL

85 | 20 hours ago

Damn. I feel sorry for him. Had such a promising rookie season. Wish him the best, hopefully he can make a comeback one day.

catperson77789 | LAL

24 | 19 hours ago

Big man and foot injury is unfortunately just not a good combo

Gristle__McThornbody | LAL

-2 | 19 hours ago

He can make a comeback on the Lakers when we give them Knecth.

frankcostello666 | LAL

38 | 19 hours ago

he has played 11 games since the luka trade dawg

hell is not bad enough for nico h.

Direct-Departure1662

10 | 20 hours ago

Sucks when promising bigs have so many foot injuries

JustoTJ

5 | 20 hours ago

I figured this was the case, he was not on the court during the Duke vs NBA players scrimmage that was posted by Duke basketball

FERFreak731 | UTA

20 | 20 hours ago

Mark Williams 2.0

88cowboy

6 | 19 hours ago

Hopefully he pulls a Tyson Chandler

DefiniteSauce12 | CHI

11 | 20 hours ago

Disgrace to mark williams in terms of situations

adeptadapted

4 | 19 hours ago

How about that Morez Johnson pick

Hentzology

4 | 19 hours ago

He’ll be fine bro is a pokemon vendor now

Puppetmaster858 | PHX

3 | 20 hours ago

His career may be cooked because of injuries sadly

The-Pharcyde | TOR

3 | 19 hours ago

Sucks to see. Those foot problems for bigs are brutal.

girlscoutcookies05 | CHA

3 | 17 hours ago

💔💔💔 he was the future, man

luckyshot35 | MIN

8 | 20 hours ago

I thought he was a Luka merchant in 24’ but it’s sad that’s all we’ve seen seen of him in a minute

d7h7n | DAL

22 | 20 hours ago

You can look up his luka and non luka stats, they’re identical.

Kvsav57

2 | 19 hours ago

Lively’s good and has a ton of potential but I have doubts if he’s ever be a dependably healthy player again. Stinks but man, it just doesn’t seem like he’s ever coming back 100%.

Shepher27 | MIN

2 | 19 hours ago

Dude is in trouble already. Major injuries every year and they take him forever to recover.

Aggrokid

2 | 18 hours ago

His extension is coming up too. Some fans might see this injury as opportunity to lock him up longterm with a lowball deal, but his agency is Klutch.

Worluvus | NBA

2 | 7 hours ago

should’ve been a walking double double for years to come. hope he recovers

FiveDollarShake | TOR

2 | 20 hours ago

This guys gonna be an all star in wheel chair basketball.

armandocalvinisius | DAL

1 | 19 hours ago

time to sign 3 years 40million son lol

Remarkable-Candy-681

1 | 14 minutes ago

waive or trade

Gristle__McThornbody | LAL

1 | 19 hours ago

Alright Mavs we’ll take him off your hands we’ll give you Knecth.

outsidehere | LAL

0 | 19 hours ago

For real. It’s only fair

Trick_Sector5900

0 | 18 hours ago

He’s so overrated, who cares?

JazzxGoose | UTA

0 | 20 hours ago

That’s what he gets for shit talking Gobert ’s career

RepresentativeAd1965 | DEN

3 | 19 hours ago

He did what now?

TheMindsGutter | SAS

3 | 19 hours ago

I’m assuming they’re referring to this?

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/IWTyF22nlOo

RepresentativeAd1965 | DEN

2 | 13 hours ago

Wow…. that is genuinely disrespectful

JazzxGoose | UTA

0 | 6 hours ago

Yeah, Lively should have been idolizing Gobert. Not that he has to glaze him, but Gobert (and others before him like Chandler, DeAndre Jordan) have given players like Lively a blueprint on how to earn a ton of money by just doing simple things. Instead he wanted to act like players like him shouldn’t be playing in the playoffs. Why would you try to devalue your archetypes impact? Cuz Lively thought he was hot shit who had potential to do more, but it turns out he can’t even get on the court.

AccomplishedBake8351

1 | 20 hours ago

Genuinely so sad after 2024 playoffs he was like argued as maybe better long term than Chet.

Threeballer97

1 | 18 hours ago

He’s gonna need another year.

guccius_maximuss

1 | 9 hours ago

Lol he has no business being on that court 😂

foogeyzi69 | LAL

0 | 14 hours ago

Thats why you dont talk shit after one good yr bc you really dont know what will happen to your career moving forward.

mMounirM | TOR

-3 | 20 hours ago

imagine they just drafted Cason Wallace

Downtown-Hat8909

8 | 20 hours ago

Lively is better he’s just never available

SubtleNoodle | MIN

1 | 19 hours ago

They probably dont make the finals

I_Set_3_Alarms | BOS

0 | 20 hours ago

Damn they should have traded him, I remember wanting him for the Celtics

HungryPercentage1667 | NYK

0 | 20 hours ago

I don’t even know if he’s real at this point

comeonbjxgo

-4 | 20 hours ago

BUST

theuniversehasspoken

-4 | 19 hours ago

Was the “II” needed to distinguish him from all the other Dereck Lively’s in the league?

[MacMahon] Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II has not been cleared for training camp and his status for the start of the regular season has yet to be determined as he continues to recover from right foot surgery, sources told ESPN on Wednesday.