During the 2023 NBA offseason, the Dallas Mavericks were intent on making some upgrades and changes to their front court. The center position was a weakness for the team and they wanted to make as many upgrades as possible to the roster.
Dallas acquired Richaun Holmes in a trade from the Sacramento Kings and Grant Williams from the Boston Celtics via sign-and-trade. The biggest acquisition, however, was using the No. 12 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on Dereck Lively II out of Duke.
Lively has been an immediate producer for the Mavericks, playing in 23 games and starting 22 of them. He is averaging 8.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.7 steals and 1.6 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game and has solidified the middle for the team.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Dereck Lively II & Dallas Mavericks Updates
Offensively, Lively has been an above-the-rim finisher for the team. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving routinely find him for alley-oop dunks, as about 81 percent of his baskets have been assisted on.
However, it is his impact on defense that has been the most impressive part of his rookie season to this point. As pointed out by Kevin Pelton of ESPN, Lively is on par with Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama when it comes to defensive impact.
Normally, rookies take some time to adjust to the NBA as the speed and physicality are much higher than in college and international play. But, Lively has more than held his own as the anchor for the Mavericks on that side of the court.
As Bobby Marks of ESPN pointed out, the Mavericks ranked 29th in field goal attempts and second-chance points last season. With Lively in the mix, Dallas has improved exponentially, ranking 5th and 12th, respectively, in each stat.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Dereck Lively II & Dallas Mavericks Updates
He has already recorded eight games with 4+ offensive rebounds, which puts him in 16th in the entire NBA and first among rookies in offensive rebounds per game. He joined an elite group recently as well, becoming only the third player in NBA history to score 20 points with 15 rebounds, five blocks and shoot 100 percent from the field in a game. Dikembe Mutombo and Rudy Gobert are the other two players to accomplish that.
While the Dallas defense overall hasn’t seen too much of an uptick, Lively is making an impact when he is on the court. He has done a great job in the first two months of his rookie season finding a niche and making the most of his opportunities.
The Mavericks look to have a keeper in the frontcourt as a piece that fits perfectly alongside Doncic and Irving, the foundational pieces of the team.
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