11-26-2025, 05:14 PM
(11-26-2025, 04:24 PM)F Gump Wrote: What you call "reactionary" is - imo - simply a case of accepting what's been staring us in the face for a LONG time. At some point, it's time to admit that what we have is what we have. It is what it is.
It would be reactionary if this was the first time Lively was injured and it was a minor bump or bruise. But we are a LONG WAYS from that. It's actually been true for a LONG time that Lively seems to be made of glass. For me, I've been wary of Lively's persistent injury record for at least a year -- and that year was just more of the same. It's this injury after the last one after the one before that after the one before that -- and on and on and on. In fact, this is how many separate injuries just this calendar year? 3? 4? 5? I'm losing count. In addition (and perhaps important to some) foot injuries on players who are big and players whose games depend on jumping are a very bad thing that can linger forevvvvveeeeerrrrrr.
HOPE he can be healthier? Sure, that makes sense. But based on how we got here, it's not the basket you want to put your eggs in. Build around that? That wouldn't be smart at all.
I think we're talking past each other a little bit. I'm not denying that Lively has a troublesome history with injuries at all and I'm not suggesting building around him either at this point.
This is what I would frame as admitting what we have. A 21 year old only in his third pro year who has shown flashes of being a really good piece who is recovering from foot surgery on a pretty shitty team that shouldn't be winning games this season if they're valuing the future and happens to be up for an extension next year.
So I guess the question is what would you do in that situation? I actually think that he's playing himself into a what would be considered a much lower annual contract number if he extends this season compared to what everyone thought would be an immediate, no questions asked, max contract watching him as a rookie. With that in mind, I'm still extending him this offseason because I kind of want to take advantage of that and hope it works out because if that doesn't work out....who cares this team isn't competing for championships for a long time, even if Lively gets healthy.
Is your position that we shouldn't extend him?


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