On Wednesday night, millions of fans around the world anticipated the debut of a young big man who's bound to take over the league by storm and transform a certain NBA team from Texas after a disappointing 2022-23 season. Little did everyone know that they were going to tune into the Dereck Lively II show instead of the Victor Wembanyama showcase, as the Dallas Mavericks rookie took over with a rousing performance in his debut against the San Antonio Spurs.

Lively gave the Mavs the vertical threat they sorely needed; the 19-year old center was such an active presence on both ends of the floor, being a deterrent against the Spurs in the paint in addition to being an athletic finisher around the basket. The Mavs rookie tallied 16 points and 10 rebounds on the night with a steal and a block, and he did so on 7-8 shooting from the floor, giving his team an immediate boost despite coming off the bench.

The 12th overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, Dereck Lively II ended up outplaying the player taken 11 spots above him in Victor Wembanyama, as the Spurs' prized rookie was plagued with foul trouble throughout the Mavs' 126-119 win. As a result, fans on Twitter resorted to trolling the 7'4 Frenchman.

https://twitter.com/deepyy_/status/1717381454160711812

https://twitter.com/LoneStar9915/status/1717394706592891323

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Even then, it's clear that fans are merely overreacting, as the truth, as it usually does, lies somewhere in between these perceptions. While Dereck Lively II is an incredible player in his own right, a godsend for the Mavs given their roster needs last season, it should not detract from the evident impact Victor Wembanyama had for the Spurs.

At 7'4, Wembanyama's mere presence intimidated would-be scorers from everywhere on the court; he just needs to curb his fouls so he could be an even more impactful player moving forward. His fourth quarter showing is indicative of how it may look like moving forward as Wembanyama adjusts more and more to the NBA game.

But with Mavs fans looking for reasons to be optimistic after a down 2022-23 season, everyone should, perhaps, let them enjoy Dereck Lively II's impressive debut, especially when it bodes well for his development moving forward.