The Dallas Mavericks are taking on the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night, and Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II had a monster dunk right in the face of Trayce Jackson-Davis:
DERECK LIVELY PUT TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS ON A POSTER 😱
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 31, 2023
Lively's poster jam came late in the second quarter with the Mavs leading 60-50. Running a pick-and-roll with teammate Luka Doncic, Lively rolled to rim where Luka found him with the lob.
Of course, this isn't the first poster that the Mavs rookie has slammed down this season.
Dallas has needed a reliable post presence in recent years. Lively is obviously still a young player with room to develop, but he looks like a future star.
Article Continues BelowHe was recently asked about playing such a pivotal role for this Mavs team at such a young age.
“You've just got to be thankful, and thankful for the work, thankful for my teammates and for my coaches. Just being able to know that the work works, you know. Being in the gym twice a day, every day, being able to watch film every day, work on your body, work on your mind, work on your timing, it all stacks up.”
Doncic's leadership at just 24-years old has been on full display. His teammates not only trust him but develop even more confidence in their ability given his trust in them. Doncic isn't afraid to give inexperienced players around him opportunities which only enhances the aforementioned confidence element.
Lively deserves plenty of credit as well, though. He's been aggressive in the post and is tremendous in terms of finishing around the rim, whether it's a straight dunk or alley-oop.