(Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The Dallas Mavericks have faced the issue of finding a consistent center over the last few seasons.
Due to that flaw, the Mavs have been unable to use Luka Doncic to his full potential, as he could be lethal in a pick-and-roll with a legitimate center.
Ahead of the 2023-24 NBA season, the Mavericks finally addressed this issue by trading for the No. 12 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Dereck Lively II.
The Duke big man was recently captured in a video finishing an alley-oop play with Doncic via the Mavericks’ official Twitter handle.
More of 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 OTW @luka7doncic @DereckLively // #MFFL pic.twitter.com/Ht1R88Mzzf
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) September 27, 2023
Fans should get used to seeing this Doncic and Lively connection during the regular season.
Head coach Jason Kidd previously hinted at potentially starting Lively alongside Doncic and Kyrie Irving in games.
It’s a gamble by Kidd as Lively will be playing his first NBA season.
But on a positive note, if he can rise up to the task, it will make him an instant favorite among the Mavericks’ fanbase.
During college, Lively featured in 34 games.
In those matchups, he averaged 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.
While his numbers may not jump out of the box score, he’s arguably the purest center that the Mavs have gotten their hands on over the past few seasons.
But will that be enough for the Mavericks to reach the playoffs after finishing as the 11th seed in the Western Conference last season?
That remains one of the biggest questions heading into the 2023-24 season.
The post Video Shows Luka Doncic’s New On-Court Connection appeared first on The Cold Wire.
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