Derrick Lively II (2) of the Dallas Mavericks celebrates after a dunk in the first quarter against the … [+]
The Dallas Mavericks completed a midseason trade for Daniel Gafford and PJ Washington, helping them reach the 2024 NBA Finals.
While Gafford started 21 of 29 regular-season games for Dallas, as well as all 22 playoff games he appeared in, rookie Derrick Lively left the biggest imprint on the Mavericks’ center rotation.
Lively, who only turned 20 in February, may not have Gafford’s experience level, but given the potential he’s shown throughout the 2023-24 season, it may be time for Dallas to think long-term and install the second-year man as its full-time starting center.
Lively’s raw stats won’t surprise anyone. 8.8 points and 6.9 rebounds in 23.5 minutes might even seem a bit mundane. But her influence extends far beyond the scoresheet.
Despite her young age, Lively has one thing ingrained in her that great men take years to learn: patience.
When Lively receives the ball, whether deep in the post or in the midfield, he never panics and never forces his shot. He will have the patience to look for gaps in the defense, to make feints and move to optimize the quality of his shot, without abusing time and with total control.
That patience is made much easier by the fact that Lively is extremely efficient in his ball handling for a 7-foot-4 player. Only 11 of his turnovers over 1,294 minutes have been counted as “lost balls,” underscoring the ball security he has brought to the Mavericks.
Additionally, Lively’s chemistry with Luka Dončić in the pick-and-roll has already become a steady presence in Dallas’ offense, one that should only grow over time. With Lively already proving his worth on the court (Dallas is +5.8 points per 100 possessions with Lively on the floor), it makes no sense to wait unnecessarily to install the big man as the team’s starting center from now on.
Gafford, who still has a spot on the roster, shouldn’t necessarily see his playing time decrease significantly. During the playoffs, head coach Jason Kidd has rotated between the two teams a lot, constantly splitting their minutes to keep a player fresh for a stretch, much to the chagrin of opponents like the Minnesota Timberwolves.
It would be strange, and foolish, to turn away from this advantage.
That said, Lively is expected to be a starter and see his playing time increase slightly. It will be a real test for Kidd to somehow balance playing time at center like he did last season while also making the league aware that Lively is here to stay.
As for the youngster’s upside? It’s more than likely that Lively will always be an impact player rather than a numbers player. He’ll certainly have some big games that shine, but his fundamentally solid play doesn’t always translate into raw numbers.
If one were to hazard a guess, Lively’s potential would be that of someone who would compete for All-Defensive Team honors while providing timely scoring in a Dončić-oriented offense.
For the Mavericks, who have long sought a big man to complement their Slovenian superstar, this prospect is all they’ve asked for.
Unless otherwise stated, all statistics via NBA.com, PBP Statistics, Cleaning the window Or Basketball reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All ratings courtesy of FanDuel Sports Betting.
