Mavs' Dereck Lively II 'Grateful' For Tyson Chandler Mentorship

Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II has been the beneficiary of mentorship from Tyson Chandler as he prepares for NBA Summer League.

DALLAS — A common comparison made from members of the Dallas Mavericks organization for rookie center Dereck Lively II is the franchise's rim roller and defensive anchor during their 2011 NBA Finals run — Tyson Chandler. With Chandler being an assistant coach for the Summer League team, the two have been working together. 

"Being able to learn from somebody who is that high caliber of a player and who knows that much about the position about playing in the style of game, just being able to have that as an asset is something I'm just so grateful for," Lively said.

"Now, I've already been able to pick his mind, you know, he's probably already tired of me asking questions. But I'm going to just try to take every day and just try to learn 1% each day and just try to get better."

With the Mavs' trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder on draft night not becoming official until after Thursday's practice, Lively was limited to non-contact participation in each of the team's three practices before departing for Las Vegas. 

“I’m excited, nervous, I’m feeling everything,” Lively said. “I’m ready to practice with my team. (It’s been) a little awkward just because we’re not able to practice. But we’ve been getting in extra work. Just because I’m not able to play (in practice) doesn’t mean I can’t learn.”

Lively spent a lot of his time observing 5-on-5 action alongside Chandler, receiving insights from the former standout throughout. In addition, Chandler assisted with Lively's non-contact work, showing pointers in areas like finishing touch. 

Tyson Chandler working with Dereck Lively II on finishing. pic.twitter.com/y2a7yh7W4k

— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) July 5, 2023

A lot of Lively's work while being limited in participation has been in the film room. He is still learning the Mavs' principles and concepts for the team's offense and defense, which will be similar to what the regular team utilizes. He has been able to see it in action as an observer from the sideline. 

"Being able to understand defensive principles, what we're trying to do on the offensive end, and just try to understand actions," Lively said. "Just because I'm not able to play doesn't mean I can't learn. You know, we're watching the film, watching our players play on the court. Just being able to just try to be a sponge and try to absorb as much as possible." 

Lively has used his time to build chemistry with the guards he will be setting screens for in Las Vegas, learning how they like to receive screens from the big. His diligence in this area was highlighted by McKinley Wright IV when speaking to media members. 

"As a big man, I'm trying to get my teammates open, so I have to be able to know what type of shots they want, how they want to get open, what pace they run," Lively said. "Just being able to just try to build a little bit of chemistry, even though I'm not on the floor." 

"Being able to know that somebody like Jaden [Hardy] is going to come off the screen differently than McKinley [Wright]," Lively explained. "So I just have to be able to know player personnel on my team and try to be able to give my teammates the best open shot." 

A significant focus of Summer League is the continuation of player development, especially for young players that a franchise is counting on to grow into becoming a special talent. For Lively, he wants to show in Las Vegas that he can anchor a defense and make his presence felt on both ends doing the dirty work. 

"Being able to just be a playmaker and being able to just be an anchor in the defense," Lively said. "Being able to be all over the boards and just try to be a monster overall in every aspect of the game." 

Lively is expected to participate in his first practice on Friday ahead of the Summer Mavs' first game — a Saturday matchup against Chet Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Along with Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Lively will start and be "thrown into the fire" against a talented opponent.

“They will get thrown into the fire,” Summer Mavs coach Jared Dudley said. “First things first, they’ll start building chemistry with the starters – both those guys will definitely be starting. There’s no better opportunity in the first game playing OKC (who have) six or seven guys that are going to be on their NBA roster.”

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Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).

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