Derek Lively II suffered an unfortunate injury when Karl Towns accidentally kneed him in the back of the head, but the Mavericks rookie center still made an impact before being cut short in Game 3.
The Mavericks were heading into Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals with a commanding 3-0 series lead against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but Lively II was injured in the second quarter, and his play changed the energy of the venue and made it suffocating without his presence.
Despite losing their rookie, the Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving filled in for them late in games, and Lively II’s playing time was ably filled by center Daniel Gafford, acquired from the Washington Wizards mid-season.
Lively II had an impressive regular season that earned him a spot on the All-Rookie First Team, but the former Duke Blue Devil took it to the next level in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, especially the final five games.
Before collapsing Sunday night, he had posted plus-minus ratings of +19, +26 and +22 in his past three games, all wins for the Mavericks. He has the highest plus-minus average of any rookie in NBA history so far this year, second only to Manu Ginobili in his first year with the Spurs.
While the numbers aren’t extraordinary from a scoring standpoint, that’s not Lively II’s assignment, and he’s done what’s asked of him extremely well — he’s not just a shot blocker, he’s an all-around great rim protector and someone who has singlehandedly destroyed opposing offenses on many occasions this postseason.
Defensively, he’s having one of the most impressive seasons of any first-year big man to date, drawing comparisons to the impact legends like Tim Duncan and David Robinson had in their rookie seasons.
The Mavericks team just isn’t the same with Lively II on the court as it is without him, and while that obviously impacts the defense, it’s important to keep in mind that Lively II is one of the best screeners in the entire NBA and plays a big role on offense as well.
His ability to catch lobs off screens and roll makes him one of the most valuable offensive centers in the league, despite his lack of versatility in that regard. He’s a vital play finisher, and his absence slowed Dallas’ offense for about 10 minutes of game time.
The fact that he’s just 20 years old yet has shown the maturity on and off the court of a player 10 years older is just one of the benefits of Derek Lively II joining the Mavericks.
As of this morning, his injury appears to be “OK,” but his availability for Game 4 remains questionable.
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