Dallas Basketball

Comparing Dereck Lively II Against the 2023 NBA Draft Class

The Mavericks rookie had a fantastic rookie season – how does he compare to his peers?

Keenan Womack

May 30, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) during the second quarter in game five of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
May 30, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) during the second quarter in game five of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images
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Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II was a major reason why Dallas made the Finals last season, alongside trade deadline acquisitions Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington. The rookie big man was imposing as a play finisher and a rim protector who flashed some ability to switch on the defensive end, providing more versatile play from the center spot than the Mavericks have had in years.

Lively was part of an elite crop in the 2023 NBA Draft, which included first-overall pick Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs and several other high-profile talents. Lively II narrowly missed the all-rookie first team, which included a 2022 draft selection in Chet Holmgren who missed what would have been his first season with a Lisfranc injury.

READ MORE: Offseason Additions May Push This Maverick Out of the Rotation

Given the fact that Lively II finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting, it's fair to assume that had Holmgren played his rookie season, Lively II would have made the first-team list, which also makes sense due to the fact that they both play front-court positions.

However, Dallas' center had to settle for the second team, which also included Cason Wallace, the player for which Lively II was traded on draft night in order for the Mavericks to acquire Lively II's rights.

So how did the Mavericks rookie compare to his classmates? Amongst this group of NBA freshmen, Lively II finished third in rebounds with 6.9 per game, second in offensive rebounds at 2.5, fourth in blocks with 1.4, first in field-goal percentage with a blistering 74.7% (which would have been first in the league if not for volume requirements), and 10th in plus-minus at +2.5.

He was clearly the third-best front-court player in this crop, behind just Wembanyama and Holmgren. For a player taken 12th overall in the draft, his impact has been nothing short of outstanding. Additionally, when looking at his role on the Mavericks, he had a positive assist-to-turnover ratio (albeit on low volume), the second-best defensive rating on the team behind only Daniel Gafford, and the second-highest block percentage amongst qualified players. His total rebounding rate was 16%, which was good for second as well, meaning he had no problem adjusting to the physicality of the NBA.

Overall, Dereck Lively II has an extremely bright future with Dallas and will be a staple of this team for a long time. He has a Tyson Chandler skillset and has worked with the former Mavs center on his game, being a defensive anchor for a team that made a Finals run. The next step will be to return to the Finals but win this time around.

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Keenan Womack

KEENAN WOMACK

Keenan Womack is a sportswriter native to Dallas, Texas, who has spent the last 12 years in Austin, the home of his alma mater, the University of Texas. Keenan has covered sports for SB Nation, Bleacher Report, Rivals/Orangebloods, a host of his own sites and now, Fan Nation. Focusing on basketball, Keenan was on the beat for the Longhorns hoops team for the last two-and-a-half years before moving on to pursue other opportunities. He is married and lives with his wife close to the Moody Center, so they can continue to catch games together.

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