Mavs' Daniel Gafford Praises Rookie Dereck Lively II 'Getting Accustomed to NBA Lifestyle'
When the Dallas Mavericks traded for Daniel Gafford at this year's trade deadline, they knew he would fit in seamlessly next to Luka Doncic while reinforcing the frontcourt that was already occupied by standout rookie Dereck Lively II.
In an exclusive interview with our Mavs Step Back Podcast during the All-Star break, Gafford spoke about how Lively, who is only 20 years old with less than 50 NBA games under his belt, surprised him by being able to give him multiple pointers about how to play alongside Doncic. Gafford reiterated that after the Mavs blew out the Chicago Bulls on Monday night.
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"I think the first game we played OKC, he was just kind of like giving me pointers and stuff to play on how to play with Luka and whatnot," Gafford said of Lively. "Which I mean, I already knew, but it's always great to just see somebody as young as him already just kind of like know the flow of the game and see how he's really getting accustomed to the NBA lifestyle. It's great to see when young guys do that."
On Monday, Gafford set the NBA record for consecutive field goals made since play-by-play data tracking began in 1996-97 with 23 in a row. By the end of the game, he had extended that streak to 28 made field goals in a row. Gafford finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and two blocks while shooting 9-9 from the field.
Although Gafford has taken over for Lively as the Mavs' starting center – Dallas is now 5-0 when Gafford starts – Lively knows the two will continue to make an impact together no matter who starts.
"It's just a pick me up," Lively said of having Gafford on the roster now. "You know, either you go out there [and] I say, 'you go out there, you go kill, I'll back you up.' Or he says the same thing to me. Just being able to have fun [and] no dip off whenever one of us comes out the game. It makes everyone play with more confidence, and we're hungry."
Although Gafford was the one making history in the Mavs' win against the Bulls, Lively had himself a stellar game as well. The rookie finished with a career-high 22 points to go with seven rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals in 20 minutes off the bench while shooting 11-12 from the field.
When it comes to center depth, the Mavs have been on the mediocrity treadmill since having Tyson Chandler help Dirk Nowitzki lead Dallas to a championship in 2011. Now, though, the Mavs are in uncharted territory by having two high-quality centers complimenting each other in the rotation. If they can continue to play they way they did on Monday in Chicago, the Mavs might be on their way to competing for another title sooner than most thing.
