Dallas Mavs' Dereck Lively II Makes First NBA Start; Limited Due to 'Small Ball'

Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II was deployed as the starting center in the team's victory over the Nets, but he didn't log any minutes after halftime.

DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks deployed rookie Dereck Lively II in the starting center role against the Brooklyn Nets, marking the first start of his young NBA career. The result was a 125-120 victory in his first official game at American Airlines Center.

Lively was off to a strong start in the opening half, recording nine points, two rebounds, and one block in 17 minutes of action. The Mavs ended up deploying Dwight Powell and Maxi Kleber as their only centers in the second half. 

"Yeah, small ball was big tonight. Looking at DP [Dwight Powell] in the past, he's done a pretty good job of guarding [Ben] Simmons," Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. "Maxi [Kleber] has been one of our defensive guys. So having those two guys and understanding Lively hasn't seen that a lot here in this league; that's why we went with DP and Maxi." 

With Nic Claxton sidelined due to a left ankle sprain, the Nets did not deploy a traditional big man. The team started Dorian Finney-Smith and Ben Simmons in the frontcourt, serving as their primary options to guard the center spot during the game. 

Dereck Lively II slams home a dunk as Ben Simmons and Lonnie Walker IV look on / Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

Despite the Nets deploying small ball personnel in the first half, the Mavs had a positive scoring differential with Lively on the court. The rookie had a variety of defensive possessions after switching and having to hold his own in space. However, the Mavs evidently want to see it more before relying on it in a greater capacity. 

Lively's role with the Mavs is unlikely to find much consistency early in his rookie season. He came off the bench against the San Antonio Spurs in his NBA debut but played 31 minutes while recording 16 points, 10 rebounds, and one block. 

The Mavs have faced two contrasting styles in their first two games. The San Antonio Spurs stayed in more of a traditional pick-and-roll defensive coverage, primarily looking not to switch, while the Nets deployed small personnel and often switched against ball screens. Brooklyn's offense often stayed spaced out to maximize the pressure applied to the big man anchoring the Mavs' defense. 

Seeing different styles will present Lively with plenty of game film to use as a resource. How he manages to continue to adapt to facing various styles as he sees them on the fly will be an important factor in the Mavs' center rotation.