After an unmitigated disaster last season, the Mavericks’ 10-6 start has been a pleasant surprise. While newcomers like Grant Williams, Dante Exum and Derrick Jones Jr. have contributed to these new-look Mavericks, no role player is as necessary to this team’s success as Dereck Lively II.
Baby Tyson – or More?
The 7 ‘1 center garnered a lot of hype during the off-season, being labeled as a “baby Tyson Chandler” while being mentored by the actual Tyson Chandler. Lively, thus far, has lived up to that expectation – and has maybe surpassed it.
Through 14 games, Lively has averaged 8.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in just 24 minutes per game. That places him ninth in points, fourth in rebounds and blocks in the 2023 class. Among rookies who have attempted more than two shots (sorry, Chris Livingston), Lively leads in shooting percentage at 69.4%, a number that would place him second in the league if he took enough shots to qualify.
Over Chandler’s first 14 games, he averaged only 3.6 points, 2.1 rebounds and .8 blocks, albeit in just under 12 minutes per game.
Like a young Chandler, Lively has mainly contributed through dunks, blocks and rebounds, but unlike a young Chandler, he has shown more than flashes of surprisingly advanced paint finishing and high-post passing. Lively has also acted as a paint deterrent, extending defensive possessions and giving his teammates more defensive recovery time.
Should these skills continue to develop and should his supposed three-point shot ever manifest, Dallas might have more than just a baby Tyson on its hands.
Death of the “Center Bullpen”
The Mavericks have operated with a “center bullpen” for many years. The concept was that Dallas, instead of heavily investing in a center with diverse skills, would rather spend less on more “specialized” bigs who bring one primary skill to the table.
The bones of that system are still present on this team: Dwight Powell brings rim finishing, Richaun Holmes brings rebounding and Maxi Kleber brings defense.
The 19-year-old rookie combines all these skills, however, and he will hopefully be the reason the “center bullpen” is soon phased out.
The “center bullpen,” while being a workable idea in concept, has not been effective in practice. Powell elevates the offense but is a turnstile around the hoop. Kleber can defend non-centers, but his offense is inconsistent. What Dallas has needed is a well-rounded center. Lively is that center.
What makes Lively so important is that he is Dallas’ only well-rounded center, and the issues that come with the “center bullpen” still crop up as soon as he takes a seat on the bench. Such issues have also plagued the two games that Lively missed, with Dallas dropping both and the center duo of Powell and Holmes combining to total just nine points and 16 rebounds across those contests. Finding a backup big (as Lively’s early play has undoubtedly secured his starting role) that provides more than one skill should and will be a priority for the front office.
Until then, however, Dallas will have to rely on Lively for some of everything.
Playoff Hopes: Dead or A-Lively
Almost every Western Conference contender has at least one ascending or current star big man: the Nuggets field Nikola Jokić, the Timberwolves roll out both Rudy Gobert and Karl Anthony-Towns, the Thunder have rookie phenom Chet Holmgren, the Kings employ Domantas Sabonis, the Lakers have Anthony Davis – you get the point.
Should they make the playoffs, Dallas will likely not go far without a player capable of offering at least some resistance to these titans. As it stands, Lively is the only player on the roster who can.
The Mavericks will go as far as their rookie center can carry them.