Dallas Mavs, Luka Doncic 'Really Proud' of Dereck Lively II's Continued Development

Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II returned to the team's lineup to help lead the Christmas Day win over the Suns. Luka Doncic is "really proud" of Lively's growth.

PHOENIX — Before the Dallas Mavericks defeated an undermanned San Antonio Spurs squad who lost Victor Wembanyama due to an ankle injury in pre-game, they hadn't won a game without Dereck Lively II in the lineup. The Mavs were 0-5 to that point, finally achieving a blowout win to end the drought.     

"I think we hadn't won a game until the last game, so just I think shows the importance of what he brings to us as a 19-year-old rookie on both sides of the floor," Kidd said of Lively. "I think we're all happy to have him back."

Lively tested his ankle at the Mavs' morning shootaround in Phoenix on Monday before ultimately determining he could play. His impact was felt in the 124-112 victory over the Suns. He recorded 20 points and 10 rebounds, but while he went 4-9 on free throws, he shot an impressive 8-9 from the floor. He routinely provided a needed rim protection presence for a team that otherwise lacked that impact throughout the night. 

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"We can't forget what Dereck Lively means to us tonight," Kidd said. "Just being able to make plays, but to be able to finish again, this kid is only 19. We talked about, well, he talked about his free throws, and I told him you're going to get to the free throw line again, and he knocked down those two. He was big for us tonight."

Despite being 19, Lively has solidified himself as a vital element of the Mavs' identity. Even with having a limited time adjusting to the NBA, the defense sorely suffers without him on the floor, and he clearly elevates how the team can operate in the half-court offensively compared to the alternative options. 

"Thankful for the work, my teammates, my coaches. The work works," Lively said. "Being in the gym twice a day, every day, watching film every day, working on your body, your mind, your timing, it all stacks up. Whenever you stack the days, it makes everything fall into place."

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Despite having a game where his night ended in six minutes due to an ankle sprain, Lively has averaged 9.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in 25.6 minutes per game this season. The production continues to climb as he plays more extended minutes and avoids foul trouble. Excluding the game he got injured after six minutes in Portland, he's averaged 12.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks this month. 

Luka Doncic remains a frequent target of aggressive double teams by defenses, often from the start of games and largely throughout his whole performance. Lively has emerged as a needed relief option, providing an impact as a short-roll decision-maker and a relief option in the paint capable of leaping for high arching passes.  

The maturity and continued development Lively displays have been nothing short of impressive. Doncic told reporters after Monday's game that he's "really proud" of how Lively continues to play as if he's a 10-year veteran at 19. 

“Obviously, I knew he was going to be great, but the way he’s performed since the first game has been amazing,” Doncic said. “I didn’t expect this impact of him. He’s been playing like he’s been in the league 10 years already. I’m really proud of this guy. He works on his game and he listens to me.”

The Mavs' willingness to allow Lively to play through mistakes has afforded him valuable learning opportunities, beginning with a two-game preseason series in Abu Dhabi against the now top-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves, featuring star big men Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns. 

"Well, I think when you look at Abu Dhabi, some of us look at Abu Dhabi or preseason that we should go undefeated or when every game, but we have to first see what we have, and I thought Abu Dhabi going against Rudy [Gobert] and [Karl-Anthony Towns] was a great test for him to understand where he felt he was, but where the group thought he was. And I thought from that point, um, he started to pay attention a little bit more, understanding that this is a little bit bigger than Duke or AAU basketball."

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As Lively continued to gain valuable developmental reps playing alongside the playmaking and presence of Doncic and Kyrie Irving, it expedited his comfort level with operating in the game's finer details. From the beginning of his NBA career, Lively has already been an explosive play-finisher threat on the roll for Doncic, connecting on a team-most 56 made field goals and shooting 73.7 percent on those attempts. 

"I truly believe that was a great experience for him, even though he might not have played well or the team didn't win," Kidd said. "We got to see him grow up very fast. To play with Luka and Kai, the minutes, especially with Luka. This is what Luka has enjoyed, having a center that can roll and be able to catch and finish."

Lively entered the NBA, embracing being a vocal communicator as the anchor of the defense. The team has posted a 113.9 defensive rating in the 614 minutes he's played, compared to being at 116.7 in the 826 minutes he's been off the floor. Despite the typical challenge of making a positive impact as a rookie, the Mavs have a 6.6 net rating when Lively plays and are at -2.4 when he doesn't. It's long past the point of determining that he's the big man the team has long needed. 

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When watching Lively, he's becoming increasingly comfortable executing the Mavs' defensive schemes and handling the nuances of making well-timed defensive rotations. However, it doesn't take long before you hear him shouting out screens and coverages for his teammates throughout games, which tends to be rare for young big men. Between his paint deterrence, weak-side shot-blocking threat, and impact on the boards, he's done all the dirty week required and continues to improve on both ends. 

"When you look at what he's done since the Summer League, he's improved each week, he's gotten better," Kidd said. "His voice, just understanding what we're asking him to do, and he's got a great personality. I truly believe each week, he's gotten better."

The Mavs will be tested with a challenging schedule, beginning with a home matchup against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, before departing for a three-game road trip that starts against the Timberwolves.