Analysis: best starting five may not be smartest move for Lively’s health

Opinion piece recommends caution with starting Lively every night and suggests a minutes‑management plan to protect his long‑term availability.

In this brief: 2 sections 1 min read

- Author lists Irving, Max Christie, Cooper Flagg, P.J. Washington, and Dereck Lively II as the team’s best five when healthy.
- Cautions against starting Lively all season; suggests bringing him off the bench behind Daniel Gafford.
- Frames the move as both a health preservation strategy and a way to ease Lively back into full workload.
- Recalls Lively’s limited games totals in recent seasons and references his December foot surgery.
- Suggests Dallas may already plan a minutes restriction given the injury timeline.
- Argues a bench role could provide high‑impact spurts while reducing chronic load.

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