DALLAS — Tyson Chandler 2.0?
As soon as the Dallas Mavericks made a draft-night trade to acquire Dereck Lively II in 2023, the comparison was hard to resist.
“Kind of reminded me of a younger Tyson Chandler,” vice president of basketball operations Michael Finley said during a news conference a year ago.
As a 7-foot-1 rookie, Lively offered rim protection and lob-finishing ability, areas of the game Chandler excelled in when he helped Dallas win the 2011 NBA championship. Lively earned valuable postseason experience in the spring, logging the fifth-most minutes of any Maverick during the team’s run to the finals last season.
In his second season, Lively has remained an interior force while expanding his game in other ways. Specifically, the 20-year-old has shown himself more as a passer. He is assisting on 15.4 percent of his teammates’ made field goals, according to Cleaning the Glass, which is up significantly from 6 percent in his rookie year.
Dereck Lively’s shortroll passing is VERY nice. Especially as a 20yo 7’1 defensive minded center…
Quick processing & understanding of space. Routinely found shooters/cutters when defenses collapsed, taking advantage of the 4-on-3 advantages often produced by Luka/Kyrie. Upside! pic.twitter.com/QzMhh4CyfO
— NBA University (@NBA_University) September 16, 2024
In Sunday’s 112-101 loss to the Denver Nuggets, Lively handed out a career-high eight assists. With the injured Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving both sidelined, Dallas needed someone to pick up the playmaking slack, which Lively did. He functioned as an offensive hub in the half court. He helped Dallas build a 19-point lead in the second half, but that lead was washed away in Denver’s dominant fourth-quarter comeback.
“I think you can see D-Live is comfortable playmaking,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd said. “Using him as the hub, I think the next step for D-Live is being able to extend his range. That will come in time, him being able to shoot the jumper or the 3. But, he’s comfortable on the perimeter.”
No NBA player is better at creating out of dribble handoff actions than three-time MVP Nikola Jokić. On Sunday, the Mavericks leaned heavily into using Lively in this role. Lively fed shooting guard Klay Thompson five times for assists.
Thompson was able to take advantage of Denver’s centers loitering in the paint by receiving handoffs from Lively and hoisting jumpers. Lively also found Thompson on a backdoor cut in the third quarter.
Klay + Lively two-man game. Career-high eight assists for Lively. Five of ’em went to Klay. pic.twitter.com/Vz5Lao8zdZ
— Christian Clark (@cclark_13) January 13, 2025
“I can’t believe D-Live is only 20 years old,” Thompson said. “What a great player he is and will continue to be. He’s just scratching the surface of what he can be. So active, so athletic. What an incredible gift for him to be on our roster. Such a youthful, energetic presence, so important to what we do.
“It’s an honor to play with him. We have a good synergy going right now, but I think there’s another level to get to.”
Thompson spent more than a decade playing in the Golden State Warriors’ read-and-react offense. Mavericks guard Spencer Dinwiddie said a lot of the actions between Thompson and Lively on Sunday appeared “Golden State-esque.” Lively’s ability to do a Draymond Green impression was indicative of the basketball IQ he already possesses.
“I feel like I got that from my momma,” Lively said of his passing ability. “She never cared about the points. She cared about the rebounds, the assists, the blocks. Everything else.”
Kathy Drysdale, Lively’s mother, was a standout college player at Penn State who still holds the school’s record for consecutive made field goals in a game. Kathy was by her son’s side on draft night in 2023, and the two shared a downtown apartment during Lively’s rookie season.
In April, Kathy died at 53 after living with Hodgkin’s lymphoma for more than a decade. Lively went through Dallas’ entire postseason run with that wound still fresh.
The Mavericks have built a strong support system around their precocious center, who’s already one of the team’s vocal leaders. Chandler doesn’t have an official position with the team, but he frequents Dallas’ practice facility to work with Lively.
Kidd played with Chandler on the Mavericks’ 2011 title team.
“It’s a great comparison,” Kidd said about the similarities between Chandler and Lively. “The big thing is D-Live listens. You can see that on the floor.”
Tyson Chandler helping Dereck Lively II in his pre-game workout before facing the Milwaukee Bucks. pic.twitter.com/6humPUgxxl
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) October 17, 2024
Lively has been a quick study in the NBA. His shot blocking and lob-finishing ability alone make him an invaluable piece on a contending team. As Sunday’s game against the Nuggets showed, Lively has a lot to offer as a playmaker, as well.
“He’s one of our best passers identifying the back door. He’s very comfortable making that play,” Kidd said. “He’s also very comfortable under pressure with the DHO (dribble handoff) with the other guys.
“His IQ is extremely high, not just on the defensive end but on the offensive end, as well.”
(Photo: Chris Jones / Imagn Images)
