Dallas Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II continues to impress. In the Mavs' 114-105 win over the Chicago Bulls, Lively put up a unique stat line for a rookie; 7 points, 13 rebounds (7 offensive), 6 assists, and 2 steals. In fact, that stat line is so rare that Lively is the first rookie to achieve the feat since Steve Francis back in 2000, according to StatMuse.
Lively made headlines earlier this season, when he outplayed San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama in his NBA debut. After that performance, Mavs superstar Luka Doncic let his NSFW feelings slip on national TV:
Thanks to the play of Doncic and Lively, the Mavs are off to a 4-0 start this season. Expectations for the team were high after failing to make the playoffs last season, and there was speculation that Luka could become disgruntled if he didn't receive more help. After trading for Kyrie Irving last season, it looks like additional help has arrived in the form of Lively, the 12th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft out of Duke.
On the season, Lively is averaging nine points and six rebounds. While these aren't numbers that will blow Mavs fans away, he's already shown a knack for coming up big in the clutch. Lively has also displayed phenomenal shot-selection, shooting 79 percent from the floor on the young season.
If the Mavs are to continue their level of play this year, it's Doncic that will need to lead the way. But Lively has shown himself to already be an excellent role player with a knack for coming up big when it counts.