On Saturday night, the Dallas Mavericks hosted the Sacramento Kings. Prior to the game, Kings head coach Mike Brown was of course asked about Luka Doncic following the Mavs star's incredible 73-point effort against the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. However, Brown also shared his thoughts on Dallas' up-and-coming center Dereck Lively II.
“He's been great. He's really active on both ends of the floor,” Brown said of Lively. “He can guard one through five. The way he attacks the offensive glass for a young guy is… it's unbelievable. He reminds you a little bit of a young Tyson Chandler to a certain degree. The way he screens, but more importantly how quickly he gets out of the screens when they play the pick-and-roll game. He's just a vertical threat that's hard to defend.”
Lively has played a pivotal role for Dallas during the 2023-24 season. He is averaging 8.8 points per game on 73.5 percent field shooting. His offense is impactful, but Lively's work on the boards and on the defensive end of the floor has been especially crucial for the Mavs.
Brown thinks Lively can play for a long time in Dallas, which is a prediction that will surely excite Mavericks fans.
“The Mavericks got a really good, young player that can hold that position down for, I don't know, 10, 15 years however long they want him to be here and he wants to be here.”
Dereck Lively II has enjoyed an impressive 2023-24 season with Mavericks
Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has praised Lively for his performance in 2023-24. Lively has emerged as a key piece to the puzzle for Dallas. The Mavs young center previously addressed his important role with the team.
“It's an amazing feeling,” Lively said. “But it doesn't mean that you gotta be satisfied… Just because I feel like an important piece doesn't mean I can take my foot off the gas. It makes me want to just get in the gym and work harder.”
It is clear that the NBA is taking notice of Lively's contributions to the Mavs. Drawing a comparison to a former star big man like Tyson Chandler is quite the compliment.
Chandler, who is actually now on the Mavs' coaching staff, was an excellent player during his career. He was the same age as Lively (19) when he made his NBA debut and ended up playing in the league from the 2001-02 season through the 2019-20 campaign. Chandler provided respectable offensive prowess to go along with impressive rebounding ability.
It will be interesting to see how Dereck Lively II performs as his career continues. He will not turn 20 years old until mid-February and is already one of the Mavericks most important players. Lively's ceiling is high without question, and playing with stars such as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving will only help his progression.
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