Mavs Rookie Dereck Lively II on Tyson Chandler Mentorship: 'First Time Coached By a Big'

Before the Dallas Mavericks drafted Dereck Lively II, he was already drawing comparisons to Tyson Chandler. Now, the 19-year-old big man had been taken under Chandler's wing, and he's learning valuable lessons from him daily.

There is no doubting how great Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki was during his playing days. The soon-to-be Hall-of-Famer will forever be mentioned among basketball's all-time greats, and he helped pave the way for many versatile big men who came after him.

With that being said, though, even Nowitzki, with all his greatness, needed the right defensive pieces around him in order to help him finally get to the NBA mountaintop in 2011. Tyson Chandler was likely the biggest supplemental piece for Nowitzki during that championship run, as he anchored the Mavs' defense and did most of the dirty work to ease the burden that was on his superstar's shoulders.

Twelve years later, the Mavs might have a similar situation unfolding, as Luka Doncic is on pace to be one of the greatest players the NBA has ever seen. Doncic has made four All-NBA First Teams in his five season in the league, and he even made it to the Western Conference Finals a little more than one year ago ... but like Nowitzki prior to 2011, the right pieces to the puzzle haven't been found yet.

That could be changing now, though, as the Mavs finally have another big man with Chandler-like intangibles and potential in Dereck Lively II. After acquiring the 7-1 rookie in a draft-night trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Mavs wasted no time when it came to getting Chandler to mentor him.

Lively recently joined our Mavs Step Back Podcast for an exclusive interview while he's at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, and he spoke candidly about what Chandler's early mentorship means to him.

"Man, It's honestly amazing," Lively said when asked about Chandler's mentorship and coaching. "You know, I've never actually been coached by a big. I've never been coached by someone who's [a seven-footer], somebody who's been in this game, who knows the details, the tricks, the nitty-gritty things."

Since making the connection with Chandler, Lively has stayed in the former champion and Defensive Player of the Year's ear, asking many questions and soaking in as much knowledge as he possibly can.

"Just being able to be in games, be in practices, and just having somebody to ask questions – ask about timing, ask about footwork, ask about when to do something and when not to – is just a great asset to have," Lively said. "Being able to have him in my corner right now, I'm just so grateful, and I'm just gonna take advantage of it daily."

As for Chandler, he's relishing the opportunity to mentor someone who reminds him so much of himself and hopes Lively can become an even better player than he was before it's all said and done.

"I want him to be better than me, to be honest," said Chandler, who is Las Vegas helping walk Lively through the motions. "I'm trying to teach him things that I learned later and during the course of my career. Trying to shorten his learning curve, but I see a lot of great things. I love his attitude. He's willing to learn. He comes in with a great spirit every day, works really hard, and is a really good teammate."

Over the last 12 years, when people pegged new Mavs big men as being "the next Tyson Chandler," it was mostly hyperbole, wishful thinking. But the fact that Chandler sees a younger version of himself when he looks at Lively is a good sign that it's for real this time.

"I'm looking at myself all over again," Chandler said. "It's crazy, to be honest. Like, it actually sparks energy within like seeing him and remembering where I was at that time. He has everything in front of him right now."

Lively, who has been impressive in Summer League play, showing off his elite defensive instincts and communication skills, will have one more chance to 'wow' Mavs fans, as Dallas takes on the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday in a consolation game. Then, it'll be back to work for the rest of the summer with training camp – and his first real chance to work toward becoming the Mavs' starting center – as the next destination.

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