Dallas Mavs' Dereck Lively II Speaks on Facing 'Great Players' Chet Holmgren, Victor Wembanyama

Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II has now faced Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren, outplaying both big men in those matchups.

DALLAS — Dallas Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II has continued to impress throughout the earliest stage of his NBA career. He's shown an ability to learn quickly and adapt to what's being asked of him as an interior paint finisher and rim protector. He's now been able to showcase his impact alongside some of the NBA's most dynamic young big-man talents.

When the Mavs opened the regular season against the San Antonio Spurs, much of the focus was placed on the impact of Victor Wembanyama in his NBA debut. Lively outplayed Wembanyama in the 126-119 overtime victory by recording 16 points and 10 rebounds on 7-8 shooting from the floor, while the No. 1 overall pick had 15 points, five rebounds, two steals, and one block amid consistent foul trouble. 

"It was a lot more than I expected," Lively said of his debut. "They're a great team, it was a great crowd, lot of fans, lot of noise. But I feel like we just stuck together, we stuck to our principles ... and we came out with the win. We learned a lot."

Dallas Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II against the OKC Thunder / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The other up-and-coming big man that NBA observers closely observe is Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the Mavs' 126-120 loss to Holmgren's squad on Saturday, Lively outplayed the No. 2 overall pick from the 2022 NBA Draft. The Mavs rookie had 20 points, 16 rebounds, and seven blocks, setting career-high marks in each category. Holmgren totaled 11 points, 11 rebounds, and four blocks.

“They’re both great players, just being able to know that I’m going up against a great team, with great players making great decisions on the floors, just makes you want to play a little bit harder," Lively said of facing Holmgren and Wembanyama. "They're both great players, they’re amazing players … Just being able to know that I’m going out here not chasing names, not chasing stats, I’m just chasing wins.”

When facing Holmgren, Lively is competing against him for the second time, given the two competed in Las Vegas during the NBA Summer League. Holmgren got the better of Lively in that setting, but the Mavs' rising star admitted he was able to use the experience to learn and be better prepared for Holmgren's approach. 

"In Vegas, he was able to get around me sometimes. He was able to kind of just bully me whenever it came to being able to dribble into his pivot up-and-under shot fake," Lively said of Holmgren. "Just being able to predict what he's going to do and try to be able to stay down, react, and try to be able to make the right defensive play."

After his career-best performance, Lively's overall production has risen to 8.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 25.1 minutes per game. He's solidified his place as the Mavs' long-term starting center. Additionally, it may be time for the NBA to pay close attention to him as a rising force alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as he develops his skill set on offense and defense.