THE The Dallas Mavericks are coming off an impressive 2023-24 campaign. Mavs beat Minnesota Timberwolves to reach the 2024 NBA Finals thanks to a number of notable contributors. One of those contributors was rookie center Derek Lively II. Lively II reflected on the rival center Rudy Gobertrole with Minnesota in a meeting with former Mavs guard Theo Pinson, which sparked debate on social media.
A few Players and analysts criticized Rudy Gobert for winning four Defensive Player of the Year awards. Gobert certainly makes an impact on the defensive end, but some don’t believe it justifies some of the hype he receives. Derek Lively II’s conversation with Theo Pinson highlighted that Gobert struggled in defensive confrontations despite great success. Here’s how the exchange went, via a video from Nike EYBL:
Theo Pinson: “They played the Timberwolves, there’s no reason for Rudy Gobert to be on that field.”
Derek Lively: “Zero.”
TP: “But you’re paying him $40 million, you better get moving and fix this.”
DL: “And he didn’t.”
When the T-Wolves faced the Mavs in the Western Conference Finals, Gobert found himself in some tough situations when he tried to defend Luka Doncic outside of switches. Gobert was unable to stop Doncic or Kyrie Irving for that matter, which was a factor in Minnesota losing the series. While Gobert’s defensive struggles may have been highlighted, fans debate the irony of Derek Lively criticizing him.
Fans on social media critically examine Mavericks center
One of the first issues fans had about X when Lively pointed out Gobert’s flaws was the fact that Lively only had one year of NBA experience and has a similar skill set to Gobert.
“Nonsense from a tower,” one user commented.
“Gobert is his ceiling,” one fan commented with a laughing emoji. “His game is exactly the same, what is he talking about?”
Related NewsThe article continues below
“He acts like he’s half as good as Gobert, it’s crazy,” another fan said.
One fan sympathized with Lively’s criticism of Gobert, but warned the Mavs center to exercise caution.
“If you look at Gobert from an offensive perspective, I can understand the contract argument. But the hate? Lively actually has a better chance of making it than becoming an All-Star… DL should temper his judgment in case he becomes the world’s biggest bagger at Kroger,” the fan commented.
Rudy Gobert may have his defenses, but fans believe Derek Lively II needs to rise to the next level before passing judgment. Lively’s promising rookie year proves he has the potential to be a great player. It will be interesting to see how Lively develops alongside the ambitious Mavericks.
