Dereck Lively II’s rise has generated many headlines from national and local media outlets. Lively II, 20, has played for the Dallas Mavericks since 2023 as a 7-foot-1, 230 lb center. The Oklahoma City Thunder selected him with the 12th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft out of Duke.
The Thunder traded Lively II to the Mavericks, who signed him on July 8, 2023. He made his NBA regular season debut on October 25, 2023, and posted 16 points, 10 rebounds, one block, and one steal in the Mavericks’ 126-119 win over the San Antonio Spurs. Since then, he has achieved success on and off the court and has shown he’s a solid role player in Dallas.
Lively II recently made headlines for his opinion on the Luka Doncic vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander debate. Read on for further details surrounding Lively II’s thoughts.
Dereck Lively II Favors Luka Doncic
Dereck Lively II lost his mother Kathy Drysdale, a former Penn State women’s basketball star, to Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2024 but found a new family in the Dallas Mavericks. Lively II lost his father Dereck Lively, a chef, to a drug overdose in 2012. He has been playing with a heavy heart while knowing where his loyalties lie.
As expected, Lively II favors Luka Doncic over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the debate. Former NBA player, Theo Pinson, recently asked him at the Nike EYBL, “Who has a deeper bag? Luka or Shai?” He confidently responded, “Who won that matchup?”
Providing some context, Pinson asked Lively II if Doncic or Gilgeous-Alexander had a deeper skill set. The latter responded to the former’s question using the Mavericks’ second-round playoff win over the Thunder as proof to put Doncic ahead of Gilgeous-Alexander.
Dereck Lively II Might Be Wrong
Dereck Lively II clearly showed loyalty to his fellow Dallas Mavericks teammate, Luka Doncic, in his recent interview with Theo Pinson. However, Lively II might be wrong in his response. He exclusively centered his opinion on the Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder’s second-round series, which might be inaccurate in weighing out the Doncic vs. Gilgeous-Alexander debate.
Doncic experienced struggles, including injuries, in the series. But, despite his struggles, he remained crucial to the Mavericks’ postseason success. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dominated the Thunder averaging 32.2 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game. Gilgeous-Alexander out-produced Doncic in the series, but he lacked in offensive creativity.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Can Lead
Dereck Lively II is entitled to his opinion. But there’s a chance that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander can lead Luka Doncic in the debatable debate.
Doncic, 25, dominated Gilgeous-Alexander in regular-season production for 2023-24. He averaged 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists for a Mavericks team that bounced back from a slow start and became one of the NBA’s top teams. He accepted third place in the 2024 NBA MVP voting.
Meanwhile, Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. He led a Thunder team that earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. He took second place in the 2024 NBA MVP voting, so the sports media might see him slightly higher than Doncic.
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