The young Mavericks center is already out for the season, but fans are speculating about why he's been seen in a walking boot this far into his recovery.
The Dallas Mavericks were officially eliminated from postseason contention Monday night in an overtime loss to the Golden State Warriors at home, which stretches Dallas' losing streak to 12 games inside American Airlines Center.
Injuries to the Mavs roster have been a major factor in the team's poor performance this season. All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving has been ruled out for the entire year as he recovers from the torn ACL suffered last March. Before he was sent off at trade deadline, Anthony Davis was also regularly on the sideline as he dealt with soft tissues injuries and a hand sprain.
Promising center Dereck Lively II has also been on the mend for the majority of the season. The third-year 7-footer from Duke played in seven games early in the season, but has since been ruled out for the year as he heals a foot injury that has required another surgery.
Despite Lively's surgery taking place in December - nearly three full months ago - he has still been seen using either a walking boot, crutches, or a scooter, which raised concerns with Mavs fans online about the state of his recovery and health.
Lively, 22, attended the Mavs Ball event last week and made a rare appearance with the media, where he detailed the current stage of his rehab.
"I went from being on a scooter, two crutches, and now I can walk around with a cane. So, I'm definitely getting there … Making sure I don't rush myself, taking it real slow, and making sure that the scans are gonna give me the advice on what I should do. Not how I feel," Lively said.
He explained the things he's focused on most as he sets his eyes on next season, which will be his last on his rookie contract.
"Valuing the little things. Going from not being able to walk to 1 crutch to 2 crutches. I’m just waiting, taking my time and making sure that when I come back, I'm 110%."
On one hand, this is a cautious approach that considers Lively's age, body composition, the exact injury and his health history. The springy big man is expected to be a building piece in the Mavs lineup for years to come next to star rookie Cooper Flagg, so prioritizing his future is important.
On the contrary, this slow process could also raise concerns over how well Lively's body has adjusted to the injury. During the previous offseason, he underwent another procedure to remove bone spurs in the foot, so this latest operation is another point in what has been an unfortunate timeline since the injury first occurred.
As a whole, Lively's career has partly been defined by his inavailability. Last season, he missed 36 games with an ankle injury (his only major stretch of absence before this season) and has also missed chunks of time due to knee, shoulder, and leg complications, among others, in his four years in Dallas.
Initial reports suggest that Lively should be back in time for next offseason's training camp, along with Irving and Dallas first-round draft pick this summer, to join Flagg in 2026-27. Another major roster piece that must be considered is Lively's backup center, whether that remains to be current Mavs Daniel Gafford, Marvin Bagley III or Moussa Cisse, or an external addition.
