The Dallas Mavericks desperately need to get better defensively. Dereck Lively is one of the best defensive prospects in the draft. That means Lively is a hand in glove fit for the Mavericks, right? The answer is... maybe?
The Basics
Lively is an incredibly long prospect. He is 7’1 with a 7’7 wingspan. This is what leads to his primary skill, shot blocking. Lively averaged 2.4 blocks per game despite only playing 20.6 minutes per game. That translated to an elite block percentage of 12.7 percent. For reference, Jaren Jackson Jr had a block percentage of 14.