Dereck Lively II continued a strong start to the season on Wednesday and finished with a career performance to help the Dallas Mavericks defeat the Washington Wizards.
Lively produced 17 points, nine rebounds, two assists and two blocked shots in the 130-117 victory on the road. He went 7-of-8 from the field in 23 minutes of work as the Mavericks improved to 5-0 when he scores in double figures.
The 12th pick worked exclusively in the paint throughout the contest and connected with Luka Doncic several times in the third quarter. He helped control the paint on the other end with his rebounding and length to block or alter shots.
“You look at his presence on defense, but I thought he did a good job rim-running,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “Luka did a good job rewarding with that. … I thought his energy, and to bounce back from last night, was high for a rookie.”
Luka Doncic ➡️ Dereck Lively II@luka7doncic | @DereckLively | @dallasmavs | #MFFL | @BallySports pic.twitter.com/aHKss8cbv2
— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) November 16, 2023
The Mavericks have greatly benefited from adding Lively to the roster. They opted to insert him into the starting lineup in the second game of the season, and the 19-year-old has remained with that group.
His performance on Wednesday encapsulated what he brings nightly, from his defense and ability to work in the paint to his passing vision and willingness to find his teammates.
“It feels great to be able to trust the pass, no matter if that is playing out of the short roll, finding kick-outs to the corner, getting offensive and defensive boards, blocking shots or creating shots for others,” Lively said. “I know that my job is very significant, so I just gotta be able to play with 100% effort every time I step on the floor.”
Lively is averaging 9.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 blocks on 72.9% shooting from the field in 11 appearances. He leads the rookie class in field goal percentage and is fourth in rebounds, second in offensive rebounding (2.7) and fourth in blocked shots.
He has made the transition from Duke to the NBA look rather seamless given his success and connection with his teammates, but it has had challenges. He is embracing them and making the necessary adjustments each night.
“It is definitely a physical and mental battle,” Lively said. “You gotta make sure you’re getting your body right, your mind right. … You gotta take care of yourself as a pro. You gotta be able to know assignments, your own plays, different schemes. No matter what they throw at you, you gotta be able to be one step ahead.”
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