Dallas, we have a problem. The Mavericks were forced to scratch one of their brightest stars, Dereck Lively II, from tonight’s game against the Indiana Pacers, and it was all due to a sudden, last-minute shoulder sprain. Apparently, even shootarounds can be dangerous, as this injury was reportedly sustained right before the game, leaving the team scrambling to adjust. But hey, who knew that the only thing more intense than an NBA back-to-back was a friendly pre-game shooting session?
Mavericks fans might feel the sting of this absence more than usual. After all, Lively has been lively this season, averaging a respectable 9.3 points, 8.2 rebounds, and a remarkable 70.6% shooting accuracy. Let’s just say if there were a stat for “Most Reliable Human Launch Pad for Luka Doncic Lobs,” Lively would be leading that, too. And while this was indeed the second night of a back-to-back (every player’s favorite test of endurance), the Mavericks were counting on his presence to challenge the Pacers’ solid frontcourt duo of Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner. Instead, Dallas will rely more heavily on Dwight Powell to fill those minutes—a move that some fans might see as equivalent to swapping out your A-list lead for an understudy five minutes before showtime.
Meanwhile, Lively’s Quest for a 3-Point Shot Continues… From the Bench
The news isn’t all grim, though. Lively has been seen working on a new and ambitious part of his game—3-point shooting. Before Monday’s game, he was out there on the court, launching threes as if he had plans to rain down from beyond the arc and shock the opposition. In fact, Lively’s been hyping up this deep-range debut for a while, recently saying, “As soon as I got it, it was going right up.” But don’t let the confidence fool you; so far, he hasn’t even attempted a 3-pointer in any of his six games. Maybe this whole shoulder thing is just his way of delaying his long-range entrance for dramatic effect.
“Whatever Shots Come to Me, I’m Going to Take”—If They Come, That Is
In classic, humble fashion, Lively noted he’s not forcing the long ball, just waiting for the right moment to unleash his inner sharpshooter. “I’m not going to be out there searching for threes,” he clarified, which is probably a relief to Mavericks fans hoping he’ll stick to what he’s already great at: dominating the post and grabbing rebounds. After all, his presence in the paint often forces opposing defenses to collapse around him, which opens up the perimeter for Dallas’s actual shooters. So maybe a slow burn to that 3-point confidence is for the best—no rush to have Lively knocking down deep ones yet.
In the meantime, the Mavericks (and the rest of us) will have to wait to see when Lively’s grand 3-point debut finally materializes. But for now, he’ll rest that shoulder and let Dwight Powell take on the Pacers. Here’s hoping that whatever Lively’s right shoulder was doing pregame, it rethinks its life choices and lets him back on the court, with or without those threes, by the next game.
In Dallas, it’s officially the season of “get well soon.”
