Jason Kidd hinted that Dereck Lively II and Olivier-Maxence Prosper could start in the preseason, and the two rookies were among the first five out for the Dallas Mavericks against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Kidd said the Mavericks would experiment with their lineups throughout training camp and the preseason. The team has two spots open in the starting lineup next to Luke Doncic, Kyrie Irving and Grant Williams, and it is looking to audition Lively and Prosper in those roles.
The Mavs gained their first look on Thursday.
Lively recorded two points, five rebounds and one blocked shot in 14 minutes during the 111-99 loss in Abu Dhabi. Prosper had one point and one rebound in 17 minutes.
Kidd liked what he saw from them.
You look at the rookies starting tonight against a playoff team, and I thought they did a really good job. They were rookies. There was some good stuff that Dereck did going against (Rudy) Gobert and (Karl-Anthony Towns), and then O-Max I thought had some good looks. It just didn’t go down for him tonight.
The Mavericks largely used the contest to take a closer look at their backups. Doncic, Irving and Williams played only in the first half. Doncic led the way with 25 points and second-year guard Jaden Hardy added 13 points off the bench.
Luka Doncic up to Dereck Lively II, it starts. pic.twitter.com/lXVk4jcmvk
— Nick Angstadt (@NickVanExit) October 5, 2023
Kidd has been impressed by the rookies from their offseason workouts at the practice facility. They have hit their training hard and have stuck to their plan set forth by the team. Kidd expects them to play this season and believes they are a part of their long-term plans.
Lively and Prosper will likely start again on Saturday versus the Timberwolves in Abu Dhabi before traveling to face Real Madrid in Spain. They seemingly have a chance to make a name for themselves and will look to stand out in those games.
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