The hits keep coming for the Dallas Mavericks, as they’ve been hit with another long-term injury. Dereck Lively II rolled his ankle against the Denver Nuggets on Tuesday, January 14th. It was initially believed that it wouldn’t be a significant injury, but apparently, things have changed.
ESPN’s Shams Charania has announced that Lively is now expected to miss 2-3 months with a ” small fracture in his foot.” That timeline would have him back around the start of the playoffs, assuming the Mavericks can survive until then.
Lively was averaging 9.1 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 1.7 BPG in his second season out of Duke. He moved into the starting lineup a few weeks into the season, making an immediate impact on the team’s defense, while his passing was a revelation for the offense. His loss will be big for the team, as their third-string center, Dwight Powell, is also dealing with an injury.
A few things about this are causing some fans to wonder: the Mavericks initially said the X-rays were negative and listed Lively as “questionable” to play against the Charlotte Hornets on Monday (before eventually being ruled out) and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. So, has there been some kind of medical malpractice, or did they just miss something entirely on the initial X-rays?
This is just another blow in a long list of injuries for the Mavericks this season. Luka Doncic has been out since Christmas Day with a calf strain, Dante Exum has yet to play due to wrist surgery in the preseason, Kyrie Irving missed a few weeks with a bulging disc in his back, Jaden Hardy has sprained the same ankle twice, and that’s just the more serious ones, not even counting Naji Marshall missing a few games with an illness.
Lively’s injury likely means that Daniel Gafford isn’t going anywhere. Gafford’s name has floated up in trade rumors recently if the Mavs could acquire an elite defensive wing, but he’s the only true center on the roster right now. Dallas may have to make a move for a better rotation big at the end of the roster just to have another option until Lively returns.