
The Dallas Mavericks big man Derek Lively He recently turned heads because of comments he made about Minnesota Timberwolves star Rudy Gobert.
In a recent conversation with a G League guard Theo PinsonThe Dallas center shared an observation he had about his Western Conference forward line rival.
Lively explained that the players who make the most money get the most playing time. Pinson said that Gobert was essentially unplayable during the playoffs and whether that was true or not, Lively adamantly agreed.
Pinson added that Gobert needs to address those issues, and Lively said the three-time NBA All-Star isn’t in a position to do so. It was an interesting conversation:
Some people have rightly pointed out that Lively has faced similar problems before during his young professional career. However, that shouldn’t stop him from making these arguments about Gobert.
Indeed, both players come from a very similar archetype, that of defensive pillars with offensive limitations. Both are phenomenal rim protectors and neither has proven their ability to extend the floor as shooters.
Some fans might think that if Lively has the same issues, how is it fair for him to point the finger at Gobert? But the reality is that makes the former Duke uniquely qualified to speak on the issue.
Gobert is a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year and is far more accomplished than the 20-year-old big man. 2023 NBA Draft Lottery Pickswho earned second-team All-Rookie honors last season, has a chance to do wonderful things on the basketball court.
It’s certainly possible that Lively could eventually surpass the impact that Gobert had in his professional career. However, he’ll have to figure out some of the same things that the Minnesota big man struggled with in order to reach that pinnacle.
Otherwise, he could end up being nothing more than a solid regular-season player who can’t match that positive contribution in the playoffs. Fortunately, he has plenty of time to fix that problem during what’s shaping up to be a very long NBA stint.
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This article was originally published on For The Win: Dereck Lively II’s criticism of Rudy Gobert is fair but with a caveat: he needs to look in the mirror too.