Dereck

Lively

After a subpar first half in which he tallied four points, three rebounds and three assists, Davis flipped the switch. The Mavericks forward/center accounted for 20 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots in the second half, and the final stat line may lead some to believe that Davis was steady throughout. With Dereck Lively II done for the season and Daniel Gafford limited by an ankle injury, Davis will have to serve as the Mavericks’ anchor in the middle. And when he’s up for it, the veteran post is still one of the best in the NBA. Dallas does not play again until Monday against the Jazz.

Lively was reportedly seeking other opinions last week, which is never a positive sign. He’s expected to make a full recovery, but after appearing in just seven games, his third year in the NBA will end up as a lost one. Anthony Davis will be asked to spend more time at center, especially when Daniel Gafford isn’t available. There will also be extra minutes for Moussa Cisse and Dwight Powell, though only as depth pieces. Lively will only be 22 years old at the start of next season and will be an enticing option in fantasy hoops. However, he can be safely dropped in redraft leagues at this point.

Lively has been sidelined since November 21 and has no concrete return timeline. With the third-year center still dealing with discomfort and swelling in his right foot, he should be considered out indefinitely until the Mavericks announce otherwise. Fantasy managers who can afford to do so should continue to stash Lively in an IL+ slot. However, those dealing with multiple injuries may need to move on due to the uncertainty.

Gafford continues to attempt to play through a lingering right ankle injury. Unfortunately, he had to leave Wednesday’s game during the third quarter and has since been ruled out for the rest of the night. With Dallas’ Week 7 slate concluding with a Friday/Saturday back-to-back, the few who have Gafford rostered should anticipate him missing at least one of those games. With Dereck Lively also out, that means more Anthony Davis at the center position as long as he’s able to play back-to-backs, which may not be the case.

Following a Marc Stein report that Lively was feared to miss extended time with a foot injury, the Mavericks provided a formal update on the 21-year-old center’s health. Lively is set to miss the team’s upcoming three games and another update will be provided in 7-10 days. Until then, Daniel Gafford will start at center for Dallas.

Lively was held out of Monday’s loss to the Heat with right foot injury management after having offseason foot surgery. Now the 21-year-old center is feared to miss an extended portion of the season, according to Stein. Daniel Gafford will continue to start at center with Lively out and Anthony Davis is due back soon to strengthen the frontcourt.

Lively had four points in 18 minutes in the Mavericks’ win over the Pelicans on Friday night. The 21-year-old center is going to miss the second game of a back-to-back against the Grizzlies on Saturday for injury management reasons. Daniel Gafford will start at center with Lively out.

Lively had four points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes in Wednesday’s game against the Knicks. The 21-year-old center has been active for three of the last four Mavericks games following his return from a right knee injury. Lively and Daniel Gafford handle the center duties against the Pelicans on Friday.

Due to injuries, the Mavericks have made two changes to their starting lineup. Cooper Flagg (illness) will miss a game for the first time, with Thompson returning to the starting five. The other change is Lively, who is back after missing Monday’s loss to the Timberwolves. His return means Moussa Cisse will head to the bench, but he isn’t guaranteed rotation minutes since Daniel Gafford is also available.

Gafford is back after sitting out Monday’s loss to the Timberwolves for right ankle injury management. While Dereck Lively II is also available, Gafford could remain in the starting lineup. Regardless of which center Jason Kidd decides to start, Moussa Cissé’s playing time will decrease after he started on Monday.