25-under-25: Dereck Lively's game is simple but perfect

The game has evolved and so have the big men. You have versatile hubs like Nikola Jokic, Domantas Sabonis and Alperen Şengün, equally comfortable backing down in the post or orchestrating from the elbows. You have traditional low-block behemoths like Joel Embiid, but with the added wrinkle of 3-point shots and face-up dominance. You have small-ball wizards like Draymond Green, shooting guards in disguise like Karl-Anthony Towns and shot-blocking, floor spacing unicorns like Kristaps Porzingis.

But in all that novelty, that utility of a big man who blocks shots and finish plays is as important as ever.

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Dereck Lively II is a familiar archetype

Dereck Lively II was a highly ranked recruit whose NBA Draft stock eroded just a bit in his one season at Duke, as any promise of versatility was never really fulfilled. His freshman season revealed him to be a mobile, bouncy, 7-foot-1 big of a familiar archetype. He wasn't going to handle the ball on the perimeter or drain jumpers. He wasn't going to work from the elbows and drop dimes to cutters or blow past his man. He was going to crash the glass, set solid screens, alter shots and dunk everything he could.

It turned out that was exactly what the Dallas Mavericks needed.

The Mavs took him with the No. 12 pick and plugged him right into the starting lineup, unusualy for a rookie big. He was a bit overshadowed by the mid-season addition of Daniel Gafford — a slightly more experienced big man in a similar mold who started his Mavs tenure by making 33 shots in a row.

Gafford may have supplanted Lively in the staring lineup for the Finals run, but Lively is the big man of the future for Dallas. He averaged 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.4 blocks in just over 23 minutes per game, shooting 74.7 percent from the field.

Lively's utility comes, primarily, in how how works with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Screening is about a lot more than having a big body and he's already leveling up his skill and technique. As a pick-and-roll partner, his enormous wingspan and leaping ability make him a threat to catch and finish, either off a lob or with one long stride from pretty much anywhere 18 feet and in. Roughly two-thirds of his shots were dunks were last season. About a sixth of his made shots were put-backs and about 75 percent of what was left were assisted on by either Doncic or Irving.

Doncic has had a variety of pick-and-roll partners during his time in Dallas but none quite as long, bouncy or effective as Lively. And, again, while Gafford fills the same role in similar ways, Lively has some advantages. — he's three inches taller with nearly a five-inch edge in wingspan, he's five years young and was nearly as effective as a rim protector last season, even as a rookie.

As effective as Lively already is at the foundational responsibilities he has, there are areas for improvement and flashes of potential for more. He averaged more than an assist per game last season and if he can get more comfortable with drop-off passes and hitting the corner on the short-roll it only makes the Mavericks offense more dangerous, especially with Klay Thompson still lurking around the perimeter. He already has a big defensive impact in the paint but he has the tools to extend that further out onto the floor and more experience will allow him to be a more effective back-line anchor — cutting his fouls.

But at least some of that is gravy. Doncic and Irving have a way of making things easy for their teammates at the offensive end and the spacing is going to be pristine this season. On defense, the Mavs' center is always going to shoulder a lot of responsibility because of Doncic, Irving and Thompson's shortcomings but P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall and Dante Exum provide some defensive depth.

Dereck Lively II is just 55 games into his NBA career but he's already the most important big man on a legitimate championship contender and more than capable of doing everything the Mavs need.

Dereck LIvely II is ranked No. 21 on FanSided's 2024-25 25-under-25, ranking the best young players in the NBA. Check out the rest of the list here.