The NBA world fell in love with former Duke star Dereck Lively after he pulled down 15 rebounds to close out Oklahoma City in the second round of the NBA playoffs just weeks after his mother passed away.
Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer thinks no one deserves the adoration more.
“If you want to play with anybody, you want to play with Dereck,” Scheyer said in a CBS Sports article published on Wednesday.
Lively spent his one season with the Blue Devils during Scheyer’s debut season in 2022, and Travis Branham’s piece detailed that he worked closely with coach and former player Amile Jefferson. Scheyer praised his consistency and accountability as he pursued improvement.
“We had multiple meetings where he just doubled down on what he needed to do, and he didn’t make any excuses,” Scheyer said. “That’s what you love about him, and that’s why he got better.”
Lively ended his freshman season averaging 2.4 blocks per game.
“He was the most impactful defensive player in the country by the end of the season,” Scheyer said.
The Mavericks won the first game of the Western Conference finals on Wednesday night, and Lively contributed 11 rebounds and nine points to the win. In his last three playoff games, the former Blue Devil is averaging 10.6 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks.