Tag: Dereck Lively

Rudy Gobert criticism from Dereck Lively II is fair but with a caveat: He must look in the mirror, too.

Dereck Lively II has a lot of time to address these problems in his game, too.

Dallas Mavericks big man Dereck Lively II recently turned some heads due to comments he made about Minnesota Timberwolves star Rudy Gobert.

During a recent conversation with G League guard Theo Pinson, the Dallas center shared an observation that has he had about his Western Conference frontcourt rival.

Lively explained that the players who make the most money earn the most playing time. Pinson asserted that Gobert was essentially unplayable during the postseason and whether or not that was true, Lively emphatically agreed.

Pinson added that Gobert needed to sort out those problems, and Lively said that the three-time NBA All-Star was unable to do that. It was an interesting conversation:

Some people have correctly pointed out that Lively has already faced similar issues during his young professional career. That should not disqualify him from making these arguments about Gobert, though.

Indeed, these two players come from a very similar archetype as defensive anchors with offensive limitations. Both are phenomenal rim protectors and neither has proven able to spread the floor as shooters.

Certain fans may feel that if Lively has those same problems, how is it fair for him to point fingers at Gobert? But the reality is that it actually makes the former Duke standout uniquely qualified to speak on the matter.

Gobert is a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year who is far more accomplished than the 20-year-old big man. But the 2023 NBA Draft lottery pick, who earned All-Rookie Second-Team honors last season, has a chance to achieve marvelous things on the basketball court.

It is certainly possible that Lively could eventually surpass the impact Gobert has had in his professional career. However, he will need to figure out a few of the same things that the Minnesota big man has struggled with in order to reach that mountain top.

Otherwise, he could end up as a solid regular-season player incapable of matching that positive contribution in the playoffs. Fortunately, however, he has plenty of time to sort it out during what projects as a very long stay in the NBA.

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NBA Finals Game 2: Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics best prop bet picks and predictions

Here are the 5 best prop bets for Sunday’s NBA Finals Game 2 between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.

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The Boston Celtics battle the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals Sunday. Tip from TD Garden is set for 8 p.m. ET (ABC). Below, we break down FanDuel Sportsbook’s NBA Finals Game 2 prop bet odds and lines, and tab the 5 best Mavericks vs. Celtics prop bets to make among SportsbookWire’s expert NBA picks and predictions.

The Celtics, who were 37-4 in the regular season at home, demolished the Mavericks in Game 1, winning 107-89 and covering as 6.5-point favorites with ease Thursday. Boston jumped out to a 17-point lead in the 1st quarter and never lost it. The Celtics were led by G Jaylen Brown, who 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Boston beat the Miami Heat in 5 games in the 1st round and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 in the second round before sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Finals.

G Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 30 points in Game 1. He shot 12-of-26 from the field and hauled down a team-high 10 rebounds. Dallas did have a second-half surge, outscoring Boston 47-44 in the last 2 quarters. Dallas beat the L.A. Clippers in 6 to open the postseason, followed by a 6-game series win vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder and a 5-game Western Finals victory vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Game 2: Best Mavericks at Celtics prop bet picks

Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:14 a.m. ET.

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Celtics G Derrick White OVER 14.5 points (-113)

White has been among the most productive Celtics this postseason. He has tallied at least 15 points in 5 of the team’s last 6 games, and more to the point, he’s getting shots up, especially 3’s.

White has attempted 8 or more 3’s in 6 straight games and has taken double-digit shots in 6 straight games as well. White is averaging 17.6 points per game during the playoffs and should continue his scoring trend.

BET OVER 14.5 POINTS (-113).

Mavericks C Dereck Lively II OVER 6.5 rebounds (-102)

Lively should see an uptick in minutes. He averaged more than 20 minutes per game against the Thunder and would’ve topped over 20 minutes per game if it weren’t for an injury against the T-wolves. The opportunity is there for the rookie.

Lively has notched at least 7 rebounds in 5 of his last 7 games. He averaged 6.9 rebounds per game during the regular season. Given his ability to defend from 3 better than C Daniel Gafford, expect his minutes to increase, as will his rebounding.

BACK OVER 6.5 REBOUNDS (-102).

Mavericks G Kyrie Irving UNDER 4.5 assists (-122)

The Mavs are starting to have their backs against the wall, and Irving, who has been on this stage before, needs to take over. That means scoring, not passing. He has gone Under this total in 3 of his last 4 games and has gone Under in 6 of his last 8 as well.

Irving needs to be the star the Mavericks need, and having put up 20 or more shots in 4 of his last 7 games, he may shoot instead of pass frequently.

BET UNDER 4.5 ASSISTS (-122).

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Celtics F Jayson Tatum OVER 41.5 points + rebounds + assists (-120)

Tatum has been on fire in the playoffs, and he has gone Over this total in 4 of his last 6 games. The All-Star forward has recorded a double-double in 7 of his last 8 games which significantly helps this total. He has also scored 30 or more points in 4 of his last 8 playoffs games.

Tatum has topped 42 minutes per game in 7 straight contests and should have all the opportunity to be involved in Sunday’s Game 2 battle.

TAKE OVER 41.5 POINTS + REBOUNDS + ASSISTS (-120).

1st-half winner: MAVERICKS (+172)

The Mavericks and Celtics should play a closer game. Dallas started to figure things out in the 2nd half of Game 1. Boston put up 37 1st-quarter points and then didn’t score more than 26 in any of the 3 following quarters.

The Mavericks have the stars to bounce back and had a +9.7 net rating in their 1st-round series against the Timberwolves. Expect a better first half and BET MAVERICKS (+172) to win the 1st half.

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How tanking the end of last season got the Mavericks a trip to the NBA Finals (and Dereck Lively)

Dereck Lively is SO important to the Mavericks. Here is how he got there.

It is rare to see a team go from missing the playoffs to an appearance in the NBA Finals, but the Dallas Mavericks were able to do exactly that.

With remarkable year-over-year improvement, Dallas will face the Boston Celtics for a chance to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy in 2024. This comes a year after the Mavericks seemingly opted out of the 2023 NBA postseason by resting players toward the end of the campaign.

After an epic collapse shortly after trading for Kyrie Irving, there was a clear moment in which they waved the white flag on the disappointing year. It was a decision made out of necessity, though.

If they made the playoffs or if they had worse lottery luck, their draft pick would have gone to the Knicks as part of the 2019 deal for Porzingis. But instead, they ended up with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Fortunately for the Mavericks, they were able to retain the pick. Dallas easily could have shopped the pick around to try to get immediate value by trading for a veteran. Instead, they selected Dereck Lively II from Duke and became one of the biggest winners of draft night.

RELATED: Meet Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively, the big man from Duke who is going to dominate on defense

While he didn’t have the most productive one-and-done freshman year for the Blue Devils and fell a bit from his lofty preseason projections, now the he is in the pros, the center has already exceeded any and all expectations.

This decision to call his name was easily one of the most savvy moves that helped Dallas get to where they are today.

Lively was an immediately impactful defensive player but also had a very positive presence on the offensive end of the floor, especially as a lob threat for Luka Doncic.

The front office for Dallas likely expected him to develop a reputation for himself as an elite rim protector, but he also became one of the most prolific dunkers and alley-oop finishers right away as well.

Only 20 years old, the former Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year and McDonald’s All-American has established himself as one of the league’s most promising young centers.

Lively earned Second-Team All-Rookie honors and finished sixth in Rookie of the Year voting. If his trajectory continues as he has already shown, he is someone who can eventually earn serious consideration for All-Defense.

Had the Mavericks made the playoffs last season, Lively may have heard his name called by a different organization. Without him, Dallas likely wouldn’t have had the same success this season.

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Dereck Lively II says he is ‘here to win games’ ahead of the NBA Finals

With the NBA Finals between the Celtics and the Mavericks set to begin in a few days, the former Duke basketball star made his priorities clear.

[autotag]Dereck Lively[/autotag] might be getting social media love for his recent postseason form, but the rookie made his priorities clear on Sunday.

With the Dallas Mavericks set to battle the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals beginning on Thursday, Lively spoke to the media and reinforced that his box score isn’t weighing on his mind.

“I’m here to win games,” Lively said. “I’m not here to care about how many points I put on the board, how many rebounds I put on the board, how many times I start in a game.”

Lively said teammate Daniel Gafford shares the mindset and added that he thinks his teammates trust the duo enough to free them up on the perimeter.

Despite Lively not caring about his stats, they’ve still been impressive in his first postseason. Through 16 postseason appearances, the 7-footer is averaging 8.6 points and 7.2 rebounds with two double-doubles. He’s also tacking on 1.2 blocks per game despite never starting once and averaging 21.8 minutes of playing time.

Lively seeks to become the seventh Duke basketball player to play in the NBA Finals and emerge with a title, though Boston’s Jayson Tatum would accomplish the same feat.

Former Duke basketball star Dereck Lively II sets an NBA playoff record

Dereck Lively II, the rookie 7-footer made a piece of NBA history during the Dallas Mavericks’ Western Conference finals victory.

Former Duke basketball star [autotag]Dereck Lively[/autotag] didn’t just help the Dallas Mavericks win the Western Conference in his first career postseason. He also made his stamp on NBA postseason history in the process as a rookie.

Lively made all 16 of his attempts from the floor in the five-game series, the most attempts without a miss in any NBA postseason series ever.

The rookie 7-footer missed Game 4 with a neck injury, but he went 4/4 in the opening game of the series before making all six of his efforts in the second game. He went 3/3 in both of the last two games of the series, averaging 9.5 points across his four appearances once his six free throws were factored in.

Through the postseason thus far, Lively averaged 8.6 points and 7.2 rebounds with two double-doubles in 16 games. He also averaged 1.2 blocks per game through the Western bracket, and he put together all of this production without a single start. He averaged 21.8 minutes per contest.

Lively and the Mavericks play the Boston Celtics, led by former Duke star Jayson Tatum, in the best-of-seven NBA Finals series beginning on June 6.

Dereck Lively II shares another message to late mother after reaching NBA Finals

After the Dallas Mavericks clinched the Western Conference on Thursday night, Dereck Lively shared an Instagram story in honor of his late mother.

After the Dallas Mavericks clinched the Western Conference with a 124-103 victory over Minnesota on Thursday night, former Duke star Dereck Lively II took to social media to honor his late mother once again.

The rookie 7-footer lost his mother to cancer in early April, sharing a heartfelt tribute on Instagram and calling her his superhero. He earned national love in the second round of the playoffs when he helped the Mavericks beat the No. 1 seed, Oklahoma City, with back-to-back double-doubles. He shared a short message for his mother after defeating the Thunder, saying that he loved and missed her.

In the Western Conference finals, Lively and the Mavericks needed just five games to dispatch the Timberwolves. Lively sat out Game 4 with a neck injury, but he averaged 9.5 points and 7.8 rebounds.

After the clinching win in Game 5, which featured a nine-point, eight-rebound Lively performance, the rookie center shared another quick Instagram story in her honor from the celebratory locker room.

“Just keep watching from above,” Lively wrote.

Lively and the Mavericks take on fellow Blue Devil Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals beginning on June 6.

Jon Scheyer praises ‘consistent’ Dereck Lively amid his breakout playoff run with the Mavericks

Former Duke basketball star Dereck Lively earned many fans for his performance this NBA playoffs, and Jon Scheyer couldn’t be more impressed.

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.

Duke basketball alum Dereck Lively named to NBA All-Rookie Second Team

Lively, who earned praise for his two playoff double-doubles as Dallas closed out Oklahoma City, made an NBA All-Rookie team on Monday.

Former Duke basketball star Dereck Lively II made his way onto the 2023-24 Kia NBA All-Rookie Second Team on Monday.

Lively, who now plays for the Dallas Mavericks, appeared in 55 games for his new professional team, starting 42 times. The former Blue Devil averaged 8.8 points and 6.9 rebounds per game, shooting 74.7% from the floor.

He compiled eight double-doubles and four 20-point games over the course of the regular season, putting up a career-high 22 points against the Chicago Bulls in March and compiling a personal-best 16 rebounds in two separate games.

Lively broke into the national forefront during the playoffs this week when he put together back-to-back double-doubles in the final two games of Dallas’s second-round series win over No. 1 seed Oklahoma City. Just five weeks after losing his mother to cancer, the 7-foot-1 center scored 12 points and grabbed 15 rebounds during a one-point win in Game 6, earning him praise from his teammates and across social media.

Lively and the Mavericks will face the Minnesota Timberwolves (and fellow former Duke star Wendell Moore Jr.) in the Western Conference Finals.

 

The best photos of former Duke basketball players in the 2024 NBA Playoffs

With four Duke players in the NBA’s conference finals, check out the best photos of the best Duke players in the league’s postseason.

The college basketball postseason ended last month, but there are more trophies to chase for the Duke program.

Four former Blue Devils advanced to the NBA’s Conference Finals, three of them playing consistent minutes. Boston’s Jayson Tatum, Kyrie Irving, and Dereck Lively of the Dallas Mavericks, and Minnesota’s Wendell Moore Jr. each remain alive in the chase for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Tatum averaged a double-double in both of Boston’s five-game wins so far, with two 30-point games and a triple-double already in his postseason sample size. Irving had a 40-point game and two 30-point games against the Clippers in the opening round, and Lively put together two straight double-doubles and earned national praise to close out the second round.

They aren’t the only notable Duke alums from the postseason, however. Orlando’s Paolo Banchero excelled for the Magic as he helped force a Game 7 with Cleveland, setting a franchise record along the way.

Here are the best photos of the best Duke players in the NBA postseason.

Luka Doncic says the Dallas Mavericks don’t beat the Thunder without Dereck Lively

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic said after Saturday’s clinching win over Oklahoma City that they wouldn’t win without Duke basketball alum Dereck Lively.

Dereck Lively, the 20-year-old rookie, might not have been the highest-scoring Dallas Mavericks player during their second-round win over Oklahoma City, but he might have been the most important.

The former Blue Devil scored 12 points, making five of his six shots, and pulled down 15 rebounds in Saturday’s clinching game. The performance was his second straight double-double, and he tallied a plus-minus of +26 in the 117-116 victory.

By that last stat, one could argue Lively won the Mavericks the game. Star teammate Luka Doncic seemed to agree.

“We don’t win this series without D Live,” Doncic said during an on-court interview after the comeback win. “He’s been playing amazing. For a rookie, not being scared, it’s insane how he played, the way he impacts the game.”

When Doncic saw the +26 next to Lively’s name on the box score during post-game media, he put it in even simpler terms.

“I’m just glad the Mavs drafted him,” he added.

Lively’s breakout performance came five weeks after he lost his mother to cancer. Another teammate, Derrick Jones Jr., made sure to point out that he knows the loss weighs heavily on the rookie.

“He makes it a lot easier for us because he comes to work and he comes in here with a smile on his face and he shows that he’s not bothered,” Jones said. “But we know and we are all there for him.”

The Mavericks await either the Denver Nuggets or the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, four wins away from an NBA Finals appearance.