8 hours ago
(8 hours ago)michaeltex Wrote: I think it's because of the roles they are expected to play. So far, Lively has been cast as a rim protector/rebounder/dunker. Nobody really expects him to do anything outside of the paint While he's proven pretty reliable on short roll decisions, he's not going to get the ball on the wing and drive to the basket, or at least he's not done that so far. His role has been pretty defined since he first came into the league. With the foot surgery, it doesn't sound like he had much chance to work on improving his skills this summer. Same with AD.
Wemby, OTOH, has a wider role and has spent the last few seasons developing into what we saw last night. An unblockable shooting big with good outside efficiency and enough ball handling skills to take advantage of closeouts. He's going to be a problem for everyone all season long if this keeps up. First real game since last February, so he's had a lot of time to prepare.
Yeah, I didn't mean to compare the two. Completely different players. I was just replying to Killer about Lively's ability to defend Wemby going forward, as a measuring stick, and how I thought he did so incredibly well his rookie year. Last night he couldn't defend without fouling, which is one of his weaknesses. Most of those were what I consider "bad fouls". I didn't mean for this to turn into Lively critique thread. The entire frontcourt got worked over by Wemby. Overall, I think Lively will be an important part of what this team is trying to be. He is an impact player on the defensive end. I hope he continues to get better and has an injury free season. The Mavs success now and in the future depends on it.