Mavs' Starting Center Job 'Up for Grabs' as Dereck Lively II Buzz Grows
DALLAS — The center position became a lightning rod for discussion and scrutiny for the Dallas Mavericks amid a 38-44 finish to their 2022-23 campaign. Between JaVale McGee, Christian Wood, and Dwight Powell, the team lacked an interior presence to anchor the defense in the starting lineup and to set the tone on the boards.
The Mavs went to work to reshape the center position in the offseason, adding rookie Dereck Lively II in the NBA Draft lottery, and acquiring Richaun Holmes via trade in part of a draft night trade with the Sacramento Kings. The team did hold high trade aspirations for names like Deandre Ayton and Clint Capela, but no deal ultimately transpired.
Entering training camp, the Mavs are keeping an open mind as it relates to competition for the starting center position. Lively, who stands at 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, will being camp starting with the regular core consisting of Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Grant Williams, to evaluate the rookie's readiness for instant NBA impact.
"It's up for grabs," Mavs coach Jason Kidd told Marc Stein on 97.1 The Freak when asked about the starting center job. "I will start Lively with the big group and see how that goes."
The sentiment surrounding Lively's trajectory for instant NBA playing time has shifted over the past few months. Even after productive play at NBA Summer League in Las Vegas in July, there was still a sense that Olivier Maxence-Prosper was better positioned for an immediate role and that patience would be used in Lively's development during his rookie season.
"That's something that's circled on my board – to be a starter for the Mavs" Lively told DallasBasketball.com this summer. "That's something I'm definitely not at right now, but I'm scraping away, getting closer and closer each day. But I'm not there now, so that just means I've gotta keep working so I can get to it and get better."
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The Mavs' two first-round picks from this year's draft will each get the chance to start when they play the Minnesota Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi in early October, whether it's for one or both of the two games scheduled. The rationale is that both players are "NBA ready" and have "taken jumps" in recent weeks.
"These last couple of weeks, our rookies have taken jumps as I've talked to the coaching staff and Nico [Harrison] about starting Lively with Luka, Kai, and Grant," Kidd said during Saturday’s radio interview. "We'll see how that goes, but I can say that we'll probably start both rookies here early in camp and probably in one, if not both games in Abu Dhabi, just to see how they handle the situation."
When looking beyond preseason action, Kidd portrayed confidence that both Lively and Prosper will be in the mix to make an instant impact as rookies. Kidd went as far to say that one of them could be in the starting lineup.
"They've done everything we've asked them to do," Kidd said. "Each week they get better. So we're excited. I look for those rookies to play a lot this season. They're going to be a part of our fabric. There could be a chance of one of them starting. So, we'll see."
While it ultimately remains to be seen the specifics about the roles that Lively and Prosper will carve out for themselves when the Mavs tipoff against the San Antonio Spurs in the regular season opener on Oct. 25, for now, gaining reps with the roster's top talent in preseason will serve as a test.
"I think anytime you can put rookies or your younger players with the star players to see how they handle the situation, I think you can get a grasp of where they are," Kidd said of starting Lively and Prosper.
In the long-term, Lively has the necessary physical tools to be the type of center the Mavs have sought in terms of defensive presence and interior play finishing. As with any rookie, he will need to continue to get acclimated with learning the team's schemes and adjust to NBA competition, all while continuing to refine his skill set.
