Dallas Mavericks assistant general manager Michael Finley on Thursday praised Dereck Lively II’s virtues
He then paused and collected himself before delivering a message that gave Mavs fans a shot.
“I hate comparing him to that comparison because it’s kind of unfair,” Finley said of Lively. “But he kind of reminded me of the younger Tyson Chandler.
“But that’s also unfair. But if he continues to grow and improve in the areas where I think he needs to improve, that would be a fair comparison for him as his career progresses.
The Mavs general manager also said he “absolutely” noticed a resemblance between Chandler and Lively.
“When he first walked into the gym, everyone said that,” Harrison said. “They said, ‘Damn, young Tyson.’ And the next day, Tyson came to practice and I was like, ‘You missed it by a day.’
Chandler was the lynchpin in Dallas defense as the Mavs shocked LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat to capture the 2011 NBA title.
Lively, who the Mavs acquired Thursday in a draft-day trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, is a 7-1, 230-pounder who averaged 5.4 points and five rebounds and in his only year with 2, 4 blocks runners-up in the Atlantic Coast Conference was the Duke Blue Devils last season. Lively was selected to the ACC All-Freshman Team and the ACC All-Defensive Team, and his 82 blocks is behind only Mike Gminski (90), the most blocks ever by a Duke freshman.
The Mavs agreed in principle to purchase the draft rights to Lively from Oklahoma City in exchange for the draft rights to Cason Wallace 
Trade that is not final yet. The Mavs chose number 10 Cason while the Thunder chose number 12 Lively.
The Lively acquisition fills a major need for the Mavs.
Finley said what impressed the Mavs most about Lively was “just his energy.” He’s young, he’s athletic, he’s something we don’t currently have on our roster.
“We see a guy that size – over 2.10 meters – who runs like a deer, has good hands and has great defensive instincts. We think he’s a guy who can definitely help us out on our pitches – a weakness – which I think is on defense, namely defense and rebounding.”
Lively shot an incredible 65.8 percent from the field and played just 19.8 minutes per game for the Blue Devils. And he’s hoping to step in and do his part as early as next season and be a rotation player for the Mavs.
When asked how he ranks with the Mavs, Lively said, “I just have the ability to be an anchor on defense, someone my teammates can rely on and have their back.” will be able to protect the ring and call out everything I see on the floor on the defensive.
“And when it comes to offense, I’ll just be able to do whatever I can to help my teammates open up and find the right play and shot.”
Finley believes Lively has what it takes to become a rotation player for the Mavs next season.
“I just think he needs to keep improving his performance in school – the defensive intensity,” Finley said. “The only thing about rookies is that the game is so different from college to the NBA. I think the quicker he picks up the defensive philosophies (and) the offensive philosophies, the better his chances of getting onto the field quicker.
“It may take some time, but I think he’s the type of player that you might need to involve him with a little bit to kind of get your feet wet and get him comfortable with the NBA game.” But once you get him on the pitch, we don’t have any guys like that in our squad. He’s notable for his size, athletic ability, (solid) defensive play, rebounder, and shot blocker. He is a great talent for us.”
There’s a viral video of Lively firing off threesome after threesome. It’s similar to what Finley said when he flew to Los Angeles to watch one of Lively’s workouts.
“He had agent training in LA where he shot the ball really well. . .and we didn’t go there to see that,” Finley said. “But he put on a show from three-point distance, which is the case in this game. But we won’t expect him to be a three-point threat for us right away.
“Then he came here to train for us where he did another great workout. We introduced him to some of the defense concepts we use throughout the year and he picked them up quickly. He communicated with our coaches – very loudly.”
While Harrison was also impressed with Lively’s three-pointers, that’s not necessarily why he made himself a member of the Mavs.
“I think eventually he’ll be able to do that,” Harrison said. “But the reason we really like him is that when you watch him he talks about defence, he’s got great feet, he can take down players, he runs across the floor and lands over the edge. “
The Mavs traded picks with OKC to acquire Lively. However, they also saw Orlando use the number 11 to draft Michigan’s Jett Howard.
“There was a lot going on, a lot of conversations, a lot of what-ifs,” Finley said. “But Nico, our GM, was thrilled with selecting (Lively) and making one
Decision to withdraw and get him. And after our GM made that decision, we all got on board trying to implement it.
“We had our fingers crossed that the 10-12 team (Orlando) didn’t take him and it all worked out. So we were happy and excited about the choice.”
Lively too. But first he had to trade his OKC hat for the Mavs hat after NBA commissioner Adam Silver announced the swap.
“I heard every time Mr. Silver came out and said there was a trade, so I turned around and wondered who it is, and the next thing he said was my name,” Lively said. “So you just have to be able to go with the flow, and that’s how the NBA works.”
Of the call-up, Lively said: “As soon as I heard my name, it was a dream that was just beginning. It was almost like a dream come true. I really loved it.
“But whenever I heard I was being traded, I tried to embrace it. As soon as I was told I was flying to Dallas, I was hooked. I feel like I can play a role there.”
Finley described Lively as “pretty high up” on the Mavs draft board. After that, the Mavs’ mission was accomplished.
“We were excited to see him in a position where we could acquire him,” Finley said. “We were really thrilled that he was there for us to take him to where we took him.
“All rookies, from one to 60, are players with potential. Even number one. It’s tough and I don’t think it’s fair of me to have high expectations for these kids, but he has a chance. He’s got the work ethic that belies the guy we think he is and he’s got a big heart and I think he’ll be a great teammate too. So we look forward to having him in our squad.”
Twitter: @DwainPrice