The Dallas Mavericks are coming off an impressive 2023-24 campaign. The Mavs beat the Minnesota Timberwolves to advance to the 2024 NBA Finals thanks to multiple standout contributors. One of those contributors was rookie center Derek Lively II. Lively II reflected on rival center Rudy Gobert's role with Minnesota in a sitdown with former Mavs guard Theo Pinson, which caused a debate on social media.

Some players and analysts have criticized the fact that Rudy Gobert has earned four Defensive Player of the Year awards. Gobert certainly makes an impact on the defensive end, but some do not believe it warrants some of the hype he receives. Derek Lively II's conversation with Theo Pinson highlighted that Gobert has struggled in defensive matchups despite being highly acclaimed. Here's how the exchange went, via a video from Nike EYBL:

Theo Pinson: “They played the Timberwolves there’s 0 reason Rudy Gobert should’ve been on that court.”

Dereck Lively: “Zero.”

TP: “But you’re paying him $40M, you better get your a** out there & figure it the f*** out.”

DL: “And he didn’t.”

When the T-Wolves played the Mavs in the Western Conference Finals, Gobert found himself in tough situations when trying to guard Luka Doncic off switches. Gobert could not stop Doncic or Kyrie Irving for that matter, which was a factor leading to Minnesota's series defeat. While Gobert's struggles defensively may have been warranted to highlight, fans are debating the irony of Derek Lively being the one criticizing him.

Fans on social media critically examine the Mavericks center

One of the first issues fans on X had with Lively pointing out Gobert's flaws is the fact that Lively has only had one year of experience in the NBA and possesses a similar skillet to Gobert.

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“Crazy talk from a rook,” one user commented.

“Gobert is his ceiling,” one fan commented alongside a laughing emoji. “His game is exactly the same what is he talking about.”

“Lively acting like he's half as good as Gobert is crazy,” another fan stated.

One fan empathized with Lively's criticism of Gobert but warned the Mavs center to tread carefully.

“If you watch Gobert through an offensive lense, I can see the argument of his contract. But the hate? Lively actually has a better chance to wash out over becoming an All-Star… DL should temper his judgment in case he becomes the world's tallest bagger at Kroger,” the fan commented.

Rudy Gobert may have his defenses, but fans believe Derek Lively II must elevate himself to a higher level before casting out judgment. The promising rookie year Lively had proves he has the potential to become great. It will be interesting to see how Lively develops alongside the highly-aspirational Mavericks.