A night to remember for any young aspiring star is the NBA draft. The more picks you have, the better your chances of landing a franchise player. That was exactly the game for the Dallas Mavericks.
It was clear the Mavericks were one of the winners from the draft. Dallas initially only had one pick, which turned into three players by the end of the night. One of those was Dereck Lively II.
Dereck Lively II Was the Wrong Choice for the Dallas Mavericks
Dereck Lively II Is Not the Root of the Problem
This is in no way an insult to Lively’s potential. His offense needs to be polished, but Lively entered the draft as arguably the best true big man not named Victor Wembenyama.
Lively also finds himself in a situation where he gets to play with one of the NBA’s top guards Luka Doncic. It was a clear need for Dallas with Christian Wood being a free agent, so what seems to be the issue with drafting Lively?
The way the league has developed, there’s really no need for a true big man anymore. All centers can shoot threes, which is exactly what Doncic would need to help space the floor.
Lively shot an abysmal 15.4% from the three-point line in college. In fact, he was not known for his scoring abilities at all. His defense kept his name afloat as he eventually became a lottery pick.
Lively is an NBA talent, but with the way the Mavericks are built around Doncic, it looks to be a recipe for disaster. Dallas could look to some former championship teams built around players with the skillsets of Doncic.
Eight blocks (!!) and 14 rebounds for Dereck Lively II tonight vs. North Carolina. Only had 4 points on three shots but was *the* difference for Duke defensively. Easily the most promising game for him and his NBA prospects I've seen all season. pic.twitter.com/dm0LuktzN8
— Kyle Boone (@kyletheboone) February 5, 2023
Building Around the Dominance of Luka Doncic
A prime example can be seen with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, as LeBron James helped bring a championship to his hometown. The Cavaliers ranked third in offensive rating, shooting 36.2% from the three-point line.
With lineups that rotated around sharpshooters Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love, J.R. Smith, Matthew Dellavedova and Mo Williams, James could reign free in an offense completed with unlimited spacing. The 2021 Milwaukee Bucks championship team, which shot 38.9% from the three-point line, also played a similar mind of basketball loading up shooters around Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The winning formula is spacing the floor for Doncic. Lively will provide much-needed defense in the paint and take pressure off the guards, but the league is now driven by high-octane offenses, and Dallas needs to catch up.
Luka Doncic in a must win Game 7 vs the 1 seed Phoenix Suns:
35 PTS
10 REB
4 AST
2 STLS
30 minutes played
+- of +37 https://t.co/mvTPbmuk2T pic.twitter.com/S0U938YK7c— Alex (@PeakMavs) July 16, 2023
The Last Word on Dereck Lively II
As fans of the NBA, the best thing to do is root for Lively. His time with the Mavericks should be a testament to his true potential, but unfortunately, immortality is measured by championships.
With the landscape of the NBA and the sizable distance before Dallas become legit championship contenders, much more is needed than a stretch big man. However, the Mavericks may find the winning formula and fully utilize the athleticism of Lively.
Until then, frustration will continue to boil over, and Doncic’s timeline with the Mavericks will remain a mystery. Of course, this doesn’t shy away that the front office will do anything in their power to make sure he stays in Dallas for the rest of his career.
