Dereck Lively II, OMax Prosper Expected to Be 'Crucial Part' of Mavs Success
Heading into a new season, the Dallas Mavericks have several new faces on their roster. After adding key veterans like Grant Williams, Seth Curry and Richaun Holmes, the Mavs are in a better place than they were a year ago, but it's their two first-round rookies, Dereck Lively II and OMax Prosper, who might end providing more from Day 1 than many people think.
On a recent episode of our Mavs Step Back Podcast, Mavs rookie guard Jordan "Jelly" Walker, who is hoping to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted to a two-way contract before the season begins, sat down with us to discuss expectations for the team. He believes Lively and Prosper will open a lot of eyes.
"I don't think people understand," Walker told DallasBasketball.com. "[Lively] and OMax are gonna be... I think they're gonna be way better than people really expect. They're still raw and they're still new. ... In my opinion, I think those two are going to play a real crucial part whenever their numbers are called. ... I feel like those two players there, OMax and D-Live, those two are phenomenal."
When you have two elite offensive superstar talents like Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on your roster, you don't have to worry about things much on that end of the floor. That duo will make playing offense easy for pretty much anyone, but Walker believes it's Lively and Prosper's defensive instincts that will have them on the floor early and often.
"Let's not even talk about offense. Offense is gonna come," Walker said. "The way they play defense and how they just understand and pick up on other people's mistakes, that's not something you can teach. They just have a natural knack for that."
Lively was able to showcase numerous examples of how he can cover up other players' mistakes, as Walker mentioned, and he's going into his rookie year fully focused on doing the 'dirty work' and whatever else is needed to help his team.
"I'm excited for it,” Lively told DallasBasketball.com about this upcoming season. “I think I'm going to be able to fit this mold on this team very well. I'm gonna do the dirty work on both ends of the floor, and I'm backing everybody up every step of the way. If that's somebody getting blown by, I'm covering their man, I'm telling somebody to get mine. If somebody doesn't know what play that's going on, I'm directing the play and making sure they know going on."
Overall, Walker sees the Mavs being very successful next season, which would be a night-and-day difference from last season when they missed the postseason entirely. With a full offseason to recover and prepare, along with a revamped roster with several talented defensive pieces, Dallas could be playoff bound again ... and they'll certainly be shooting for more than that.
"In my opinion, I really do believe the Mavs are gonna be really, really good next year," Walker said. "Obviously, starting with Kyrie and Luka, that's gonna trickle down to the rest of the team. In my opinion, I think they can go really, really far. And God's willing, I'm on that [ride] too, and I can say 'we' can go really, really far."
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