2023 DRAFT: Mavs take Lively, OMP, sign Mike Miles to 2-way, sign Jordan Walker

[Ghost of Podkolzin]

Here's one of my fave Dereck Lively games. Miami's center got injured at the start of the game and they went small. If you don't have time to watch the whole game, just watch the first 10 minutes. You can see his defensive impact, no easy buckets for Miami.

Also the offense. I already mentioned how Filipowski liked to play near the rim. Watch the PnR possesions when Lively is the roll man, the restricted area is crowded. He has the gravity as a roll man and people are aware of that. And once you put a playmaker such as Luka or Ky next to this kind of gravity, someone will be open on almost every possession.

Don't get me wrong, there are better prospects than Lively in this draft, but don't sleep on him just becouse he doesn't have some flashy stats.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbuoY86Sfg8&t=837s

I love Lively, but for the Mavs he's too much of a project to take on before the 20th pick or so.