The Dallas Mavericks won their 2023-24 NBA debut against the San Antonio Spurs. Under Luka Doncic's superb performance, the Mavs pulled away late in the fourth for the victory. Kyrie Irving offered high praise for rookie Derek Lively II.

Derek Lively II impresses Mavs in strong NBA opener

In a post-game press conference, Irving disclosed what he liked about Lively's performance:

“His activity, and just his fearlessness. To be that poised in [gametime situations] being 19 years old [was pretty impressive],” Irving said, per Landon Thomas.

Lively made his NBA debut with a double-double. He scored 16 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in 31 minutes of action. In addition, he helped protect the painted area for the Mavs and played solid defense against fellow rookie Victor Wembanyama.

Irving said it was a piece of mind for the Dallas veterans to not have to constantly get on him and wonder about his whereabouts on the court.

Luka Doncic led the team magnificently on all fronts. Doncic notched a triple-double with 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. The 24-year-old Slovenian picked up where he left off last season as a perennial MVP candidate.

The young San Antonio Spurs played a competitive game. Devin Vassell led the team with 23 points and five rebounds. Meanwhile, Victor Wembanyama had 15 points and 5 rebounds in 23 minutes of action in his highly anticipated showing.

The Mavs look to improve upon their disappointing end to last season. After narrowly missing the Playoffs, Dallas looks like a team hungry for success. It looks like that hunger has spread to their new rookie center as well.

As Kyrie Irving put it, the Mavs have a “Lively center in the paint.”