The Mavericks hope Lively can fix their defensive woes
The Dallas Mavericks selected Duke center Dereck Lively with the 12th pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, trading the 10th pick and Davis Bertans to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Mavericks waived Bertan’s salary and the Thunder were able to move up two places.
The Mavericks then picked Lively, although Cam Whitmore remained on the draft board. Originally, Whitmore was planned as one of the top five candidates but might have had to drop out because his medical tests didn’t work.
Lively, on the other hand, experienced a meteoric rise. It offers the ability to protect the rim and spring back without getting lost at the rim. There’s certainly the potential for more trades, but for now the Mavericks have chosen their rim guard of the future.
Whitmore would have been a more exciting pick, but there’s a reason so many teams have passed on him. Lively has legitimate skills that can help the Mavericks but is a small project.
Lively averaged 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game for Duke last season. He also provided just over one assist per game. Lively was great with the team, averaging 72 percent on two-point field goals. However, he needs to learn some discipline on defense as the young center committed an average of eight fouls per 100 possessions in college. If the Mavericks still have Tyson Chandler in the building, they should connect the two immediately.
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