Dereck Lively II to Return from Injury, Provide Second Unit Boost in Game 1
The Dallas rookie has impacted the game on both ends for the Mavericks throughout the regular season, and he'll now be able to bring that to the postseason returning from a knee sprain.
The Dallas Mavericks are back into the postseason after missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019 last season.
With them, they bring a new slew of front court talent to bolster them on the frontlines in their 2023-24 rendition, including a highly talented rookie in Dereck Lively II.
The 7-foot-1 center has provided greatly on both ends throughout his freshman campaign, playing meaningful minutes and fulfilling a role that was a glaring issue within that team from a year ago. However, he's had to deal with some lingering injury woes for a small chunk of the season, playing just 55 games and being absent for the final eight contests of the season.
But being lifted from the injury report for Dallas' first playoff matchup against the L.A. Clippers, he'll be able to provide an immediate spark off the bench to back up starting center Daniel Gafford.
Acquired from Washington just before the close of the trade deadline in February, Gafford has assumed a large role and supplanted Lively as the starter in combination with his injury struggles. That's not to say Lively's play worsened, but that the Mavericks had just gotten better with their acquisition of Gafford.
Now Lively is able to be that second punch off the bench, fulfilling that same role as Gafford while holding a bit more freedom without the demands of a starter's responsiblity.
Versus the Clippers, they'll need both Gafford's and Lively's size and two-way impact, as Ivica Zubac, Mason Plumlee and Daniel Theis are all inclined to scrap on the interior and fluster the flow of Luka Doncic's and Kyrie Irving's offense.
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