Mavs Future: Dereck Lively Self-Scouting Report as Anchor
DALLAS — After coming away with Dereck Lively II using a lottery pick in the NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks hope to have found their long-term answer at the center position. The team got a nice first look at the former Duke big man at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, where he averaged 8.4 points and 8.0 rebounds in five performances.
Although Lively and Olivier-Maxence Prosper only had one full practice before the team's Summer League opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Lively's interior presence proved to be instrumental, and the Mavs posted a 4-1 record in Las Vegas.
"You have to be able to adapt on the court by learning on the fly, being able to pick up screening coverages, being able to pick up defensive coverages, being able to learn the plays, learn actions," Lively said. "You kind of learn the pace of the game, the pace of your teammates, and be able to flow together and build chemistry."
In addition to being 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan and explosive athleticism, Lively, being a highly vocal communicator on defense, stands out. He was loud and confident talking on the court despite having limited practice time. Whether it was ICE coverage, Veer switches, or just generally directing teammates, he stayed active.
"If you don't have your four or five men out of elite communicator, you're not going to be a top five, top 10 defense from Kevin Garnett, Draymond Green, even Rudy Gobert, are defensive players that talk on defense," Dudley said. "Tyson Chandler was one of the best at it. That will be one of his mentors here, along with Sean Sweeney, helping in his development."
Given the nature of Lively's lack of practice time, there is still plenty to be learned about the Mavs' defensive scheme and various coverages. The team is highly intrigued by what Lively can achieve after fully acclimating himself, given he will be assertive in leading the unit as an on-court talker. The expectation isn't for this process to be rapid, given it can take a few years.
"It's not only good to be able to talk and communicate; you have to know what you're talking about," Dudley said. "It's our job to help speed up his knowledge and the process. Give him the film, give him the reps and the works. Rookie year is always tough. By his second or third year, he will be one of the best communicators in the league."
For a rookie big man who was short on practice time, it was especially impressive to hear Lively be as vocal as he was. Even during the actual regular season, it's rare for rookies to be vocal leaders on the court due to the fear of making mistakes. Chandler, who is mentoring Lively, was particularly impressed.
"Young players don't talk. It's hard to get young players to talk out there and he's doing a great job of being vocal," Chandler said. "A lot of young players don't want to make a mistake. They don't want to say the wrong thing, so they just stay quiet. He's out there taking risks and, being vocal, which is a great sign to start."
In terms of how Lively executed as the Mavs' defensive anchor in Las Vegas, the results were inconsistent. That's to be expected, given the circumstances. With five games played, the goal was to put him in new situations, see how he responds, and then build on it ahead of the upcoming season.
"I thought it was up and down for Lively," Dudley said.
The ultimate goal for Lively is that he can be an elite option to serve as the Mavs' defensive anchor, particularly in Channel 1s. In such a ball screen coverage, he would be playing up to touch with the level of the screen, which enables him to use his length in space early. If a drive occurs, he'd need to backpedal to account for the rim roller and not allow him to get behind him for a finish. In the process, Lively has to make a judgment call if he wants to Veer switch to take the ball handler mid-drive or determine whether the on-ball defender is in a position to stay attached.
"He has to work on his Channel 1s, which basically means you're up at the level of touch of the screen with the no roller behind," Dudley said. "So when the big gets out, you have to get out, and then you have to meet the guard in the restricted area, call Veer — basically a switch and meet him at the rim.
"It's one of the toughest things to do in the NBA, especially with these talented guards," Dudley explained. "And that's why we drafted them, and it'll take some time, but he's going to work at it."
Lively, who hadn't played a game of 5-on-5 since March, felt confident in his play, but sees specific improvement areas as the big defender in the Mavs' pick-and-roll coverages. Between room to improve with biomechanics and generally becoming more comfortable in making decisions within the system, Lively graded his execution as a "B+" or a "C-" from Summer League.
"I have to move my feet differently," Lively said. "I have to be able to turn my hips, make sure I'm not opening up and committing to one side. Being able to play 2 and 2.5 people. This was the first time I was able to play 5-on-5 since March. So being able to just pick it up, being able to get the rest off.
"I feel like I played Channel 1 and our screening defense pretty well, but there's always room for improvement," Lively explained. "I'm going to say it: I probably played a 'C+' or a 'B-' in our screening coverage, so I could definitely improve."
With how talented offenses are in the NBA, it's almost necessary to have the versatility to change up what coverages are being deployed at different game points. If a team keeps seeing the same look, it'll probably get figured out. Lively's ability to execute in multiple coverages is something he views as a major asset for the defense going forward.
"I feel like a lot of teams are really confused whenever we hit them with ICE against screens and we hit them with switches," Lively said. "Being able to have the ability to do both works really well."
During the Mavs' run to the Western Conference Finals, the team played with smaller centers but utilized Channel 1 coverage in pick-and-roll situations often. The goal was to take away the gap for the ball handler when using the screen, making it challenging to pick spots and to be comfortable. The goal is that Lively is agile enough to do the same but has the necessary size and length to take it to a new level.
As a weak-side help defender and shot blocker, Lively had a few stretches where he was late but also had impressive plays showcasing how threatening he could be to opposing players pondering whether to attack the paint or settle for a jump shot. In general, his presence deterred rim attacks, and that's something the Mavs have lacked at the center position for quite some time.
Lively worked with former elite defensive anchor Tyson Chandler throughout the Mavs' preparation and participation in the Summer League. It's uncommon for a player to have the opportunity to work daily with a common pro comparison given to them during the draft process. Lively has found it to be quite valuable already.
"A big help is Tyson Chandler," Lively said. "Being able to have someone in that position where I'm at. Being able to have somebody who's a big, who's seven foot, who knows the nitty gritty, who knows the details, is amazing to have.
"I'm picking his brain when we're on the court, when we're off the court, when I'm on the bench, when I'm on the court, and when I'm not playing basketball," Lively explained.
After participating in Summer League, Lively offered an honest assessment of his personal takeaways. Defensively, he understands that he must continue to play hard and has to add muscle to his frame. He already has some technical fixes he can make with his footwork and balance as the defensive anchor.
"Just being able to know that I must have a high motor. I must always be in shape. I need to get more weight on," Lively said.
"I have to make sure I'm squaring up in my feet, make sure I'm on my toes and not on my heels, and make sure when I'm going straight up that they're going to jump in my chest regardless," Lively explained.
With August and September to continue to work on his game, Lively has plenty of game film to work with after his first set of practices and live action with some of his new Luka Doncic-led Mavs teammates. He's at the start of a long developmental path, but the ultimate outcome is intriguing, to say the least.
"We're walking into a new environment, we're walking into a new organization," Lively said. "You have to be a sponge, and I feel like I was a pretty good sponge over the past week and a half."
Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).
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