09-23-2026, 09:45 AM
We are all pulling/hoping/praying for a healthy Lively return, which got me to thinking about his injury and how common lower body problems are to these young bigs entering the league over the last several years. You can point to Embiid, Holmgren, Veesaar and others who have missed time early in their careers.
I'm wondering if these guys are coming out too soon, from a health/growth standpoint. If they are still growing/maturing, maybe their bodies aren't ready for an 82+ game grind. Especially if they are basing their game on being able to levitate above everyone else. Even the smaller players (e.g., Derrick Rose, Ja Morant) get injured trying to play the game in the air rather than on the floor. Instead of one-and-done, maybe staying for another year or two would allow them to mature physically instead of just trying to keep up with the NBA schedule. But the lure of a first-round contract is pretty tempting, although recent NIL money makes that a little less of a draw.
Just something to think about.
I'm wondering if these guys are coming out too soon, from a health/growth standpoint. If they are still growing/maturing, maybe their bodies aren't ready for an 82+ game grind. Especially if they are basing their game on being able to levitate above everyone else. Even the smaller players (e.g., Derrick Rose, Ja Morant) get injured trying to play the game in the air rather than on the floor. Instead of one-and-done, maybe staying for another year or two would allow them to mature physically instead of just trying to keep up with the NBA schedule. But the lure of a first-round contract is pretty tempting, although recent NIL money makes that a little less of a draw.
Just something to think about.