Look A-Live: Rookie Dereck Lively II Proving a Reliable Go-To for Luka Doncic
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
The last time Dallas had a center that could do what Dereck Lively II could do was 2011 – which, if you're a Mavericks fan, or a hater of the LeBron James iteration of the Miami Heat, should bring you warm memories.
Led by Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, and of course, the object of comparison, Tyson Chandler, the Mavericks upset the first edition of the "Heatles" squad in the 2011 NBA Finals, to the delight of most of America, whose chagrin with building super teams had been obvious in its reactions to LeBron James' "The Decision."
Poor play at the post spot has seemingly always plagued Dallas, which is coincidentally pretty absurd considering the home runs other Texas-based franchises have had with bigs.
You know. Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and Hakeem Olajuwon.
Of course Dallas has its legendary big with Mr. 41 himself, but he is a stretch big. We're talking down-and-dirty, fighting-for-boards, slamming-into-each-other post play. The Mavericks have that guy again.
Before and after being drafted, Lively drew comparisons to Chandler, conclusions which had many analysts telling fans to tap the breas. After all, immediately thinking that a rookie has the potential to be this effective can create unfair expectations. The NBA rookie experience can be a vicious cycle.
Lively has not only met, but exceeded expectations as a rim-protecting, mobile big that poses a lob threat any time he's in a pick-and-roll scenario.
He's excellent in rotating over to block shots, he's physical, he bothers opponents' looks, and is a major deterrent in general around the basket.
He leads his team in rebounding with 7.9 boards per game, and after last night's romp against Orlando, where he scored 20 points and was a team-high +13, he's now averaging 9.2 points per game.
Lively is the exact kind of player a point guard like Luka Doncic needs on the receiving end of his pick-and-roll passes, a 7-foot-1 giant with an astounding 7-foot-8 wingspan with a catch radius the size of a sedan.
With Doncic's effectiveness as a passer, it's no surprise that Lively's physical attributes combined with his intelligence as a roll man makes him a flawless partner with the Slovenian wunderkind.
Though not considered elite in efficiency in transition, the half court is where Lively thrives. Considered "Excellent" across the board by Synergy Sports, averaging an absurd 1.46 points per shot.
Last night was a perfect encapsulation of why Lively is such a perfect player for the Mavericks, for this particular version of the team.
They needed rim protection, rim running, secondary paint protection, weak side rotations, and overall deterrence in attacking the rim. Dereck Lively II provides all of those things.
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