Tag: Dereck Lively II

Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Scoot Henderson is proving himself as a top pick

Rookie Wire took a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2023-24 season.

The calendar has flipped to 2024, and the rookie class is finding its groove on the court; several first-year players are performing at a high level this season.

The top two picks, Victor Wembanyama and Brandon Miller, along with the second pick from 2022, Chet Holmgren, have had strong starts to their careers. Scoot Henderson, the third selection last year, also looks to be settling in after recovering from an ankle injury.

Further down the draft board, several other players have had great moments with their respective teams. These players have produced on teams in the playoff picture and on teams likely headed toward the lottery.

To make sense of it all, we looked at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but to illustrate the best players week to week.

Mavs’ Dereck Lively II earns praise from Luka Doncic: ‘He is a great player’

The Mavericks improved to 4-1 this season when Dereck Lively II registered a double-double.

Dereck Lively II returned from a four-game absence and produced another double-double to help the Dallas Mavericks defeat the Phoenix Suns on the road on Christmas Day.

Lively was cleared to play in the contest after recovering from a sprained left ankle suffered on Dec. 16. He responded by tying a career high with 20 points, 10 rebounds and one assist in the 128-114 win for his fifth double-double of the season.

The 12th pick became the 12th rookie in history to record at least 20 points and 10 rebounds on Christmas Day. The Mavericks are 4-1 when Lively registers a double-double.

“We can’t forget about what Dereck Lively means to us, just being able to make plays but to be able to finish,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “This kid is only 19. He was big for us tonight.”

Lively has given the Mavericks a strong interior presence on both ends of the court since joining the organization. He can protect the paint on defense with his length and mobility. On the other end, he is a great lob threat after connecting on several lobs this year.

He earned praise from Luka Doncic following the performance.

“The way he has performed since the first game has been amazing,” said Doncic, who had 50 points and 15 assists. “I didn’t expect this impact of him. He has been playing like he has been in the league for 10 years already, so I’m really proud of this guy. He works on his game. He listens to me, so it is a great combo.”

The 7-footer is averaging 9.4 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 assists on 74.5% shooting from the field in 24 games. He is third in the rookie class in rebounding and blocks this season, and leads the league in field goal percentage.

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Rookie Power Rankings: Chet Holmgren, Wemby and the emergence of Toumani Camara

Rookie Wire took a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2023-24 season.

The top of the rookie class continues to perform at a high level through the first quarter of the season, while several other players have emerged with strong efforts.

Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren find themselves near the top of the NBA in a few categories. They have established themselves as the likely front-runners for Rookie of the Year, while the race for the All-Rookie teams looks to be highly competitive.

Others selected later in the draft have carved out large roles on their respective teams, which has resulted in some notable performances in the class. These players, highlighted below, have been key for their teams on the court.

To make sense of it all, we looked at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but to illustrate the best players week to week.

Mavericks’ Jason Kidd provides injury update on Dereck Lively II

Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II was spotted in a walking boot after suffering a sprained left ankle on Saturday against the Trail Blazers.

Dallas Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II has been placed in a walking boot after suffering a sprained left ankle on Saturday in a win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Lively suffered the injury midway through the first quarter. He appeared to step on a defender’s foot after attempting to haul in a rebound on offense. He was ruled out of returning to the game after six minutes of playing time.

He recorded two rebounds before suffering the injury.

“There is no timeline (for his return),” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said prior to facing the Denver Nuggets on Monday. “It is good to see him without the crutches, just in a boot. I think we’ll know more as we get home, but he is in good spirits.”

Lively has emerged as a key player for the Mavericks. He has started in 22 of his 23 games played this season, averaging 8.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.6 blocks and 1.1 assists on 73.4% shooting from the field. He leads the league in field-goal percentage and is third in blocks among rookies.

The Mavericks wrap up their two-game road trip in Denver. They host the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday and should have the opportunity to evaluate Lively further once they return to Dallas.

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Chet Holmgren, Jaime Jaquez Jr. named NBA Rookies of the Month

Thunder forward Chet Holmgren and Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. have been named NBA Western and Eastern Rookies of the Month.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren and Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. have been named NBA Western and Eastern Conference rookies of the month, the league announced.

Holmgren averaged 17.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 blocks in 18 games in October and November on 41% shooting from 3-point range. He is the only first-year player with multiple 30-point games this season, including a Thunder rookie record 36 points on Nov. 18.

Jaquez became the fifth player in franchise history to win after averaging 12 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals on 39% shooting from 3-point range in 19 games. He has scored in double figures in seven straight games, and in 12 of his last 13 games overall.

New Orleans Pelicans guard Jordan Hawkins, Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II and San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama were also nominated for the award in the West. East nominees were Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Craig Porter Jr. and Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson.

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Mavericks’ Dereck Lively II makes history after monster performance

Dereck Lively II posted a historic stat line on Saturday en route to a career night for the Mavericks.

Rookie Dereck Lively II posted an historic stat line on Saturday en route to a career night as the Dallas Mavericks came up just short at home against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Lively produced 20 points, 16 rebounds, seven blocked shots and one steal in the 126-120 loss. He went 9-of-9 from the field to become the first teenager in history to record at least 20 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks on 100% shooting (19 years, 293 days).

The 12th pick produced 14 points in the second half as the Mavericks went on a big run. The late performance was likely a direct result of a conversation with coach Jason Kidd at halftime.

“I told him: Don’t look to pass, go finish,” Kidd said. “I thought he did a good job with that because he is a willing passer, so that will just make the game easier as it goes. If he can’t finish, he is going to have a wide-open guy in either corner. I thought he did a great job there in the second half.”

Said Lively, more bluntly: “He told me not to pass the (expletive) ball.”

The Mavericks trailed 111-87 just 51 seconds into the fourth quarter. But they ripped off a 30-0 run to take a six-point lead seven minutes later. From there, though, the Thunder responded and pulled out the win.

“Basketball is a game of runs,” Lively said. “We were fortunate enough to be able to fight back and bring it back to a close game, but we just gotta be able to make sure we practice more on how to close out the end-game situations and making sure we’re doing the right plays.”

Lively once again showed how he has affected games this season with the Mavericks. From his defense and ability to work in the paint to his passing vision and willingness to find his teammates, Lively has been a big addition this year.

He has provided Dallas an interior presence the team hasn’t had in quite some time. He is taking on the challenge of contributing nightly and is eager to continue to do so this season.

“My teammates trust me to be the anchor of the defense and know I have their backs,” Lively said. “I’m always making sure I’m trying to clean up everything down low, no matter if that is getting offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, blocking shots. My teammates know I have their backs.”

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Mavs’ Dereck Lively II has ‘no doubt’ that Nets’ Dariq Whitehead will be good

Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II has ‘no doubt’ that Brooklyn Nets wing Dariq Whitehead will be good in the NBA once healthy. Credit to @NetsKingdomAJ for the video clip.

Brooklyn Nets wing Dariq Whitehead has not played a game for Brooklyn yet this season, but he has played for Brooklyn’s G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets. Whitehead has been trying to get back to his usual form as he comes back from the foot surgeries that he’s had over the past year or so.

Whitehead, 19, has played five games for LIN and in those contests, he has averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game while shooting just 28.9% from the field and 16.7% from three-point land. While his numbers have not been impressive as he works his way back from injury, Whitehead still has the support of someone who has known him for at least one year.

Dallas Maverick center Dereck Lively II, who was roommates with Whitehead at Duke University last season, believes that Whitehead will be just fine once he gets back to his pre-injury form. There’s no telling when Whitehead will start playing games for Brooklyn, but the vote of confidence from one of his former teammates should be encouraging at the least.

Lively recently appeared on a podcast under the “Tidal League” umbrella and here’s what he had to say about Whitehead:

“Dariq’s gonna be good. I have no doubt that Dariq’s gonna be good in the league (NBA). He can score, he’s a great teammate, he can pass, he can run offense, and he knows how to make the right play.”

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Rookie Power Rankings: Chet Holmgren tops Wemby; Jaime Jaquez Jr. rises up

Rookie Wire took a look at the top first-year players over the last two weeks of the 2023-24 season.

As the top players around the NBA settle into another season on the court, the rookie class continues to put up some impressive performances seemingly on a nightly basis.

The group, of course, has been headlined by No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama and former second pick Chet Holmgren. The two players have distanced themselves some from the rest of the rookies this year after dazzling starts with their respective teams.

Elsewhere, other players have earned significant minutes and put up some productive outings in their roles, either in the starting lineup or off the bench. The class should continue to show out on the court with the season in full swing.

To make sense of it all, we looked at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but to illustrate the best players week to week.

Mavericks’ Dereck Lively II explains the adjustments from college to NBA

The Mavericks improved to 5-0 this season when Dereck Lively II scores in double figures.

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.”

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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Rookie Power Rankings: Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren dazzle to start the season

Rookie Wire took a look at the top first-year players over the first two weeks of the 2023-24 season.

The NBA season is underway as players and teams around the league begin to settle in on the court with over a half-dozen games under their belts.

The early action has already provided several notable performances and other highlights from the best players in the game. With a talented group of rookies entering the league, there have also been incredible efforts from the incoming class.

No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama has looked the part of a generational player, while another 7-footer, Chet Holmgren, is also finding early success. Of course, other first-year players have also started off hot with great performances of their own.

To make sense of it all, we looked at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but to illustrate the best players week to week.