The Mavericks, like every other team in the NBA, tried to serve up a buffet of defenses against Denver center and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
And, actually, unlike Sunday, they had some measure of effectiveness on Tuesday when Jokic had 10 points, 10 assists and 14 rebounds. But that just shows how good he is – he can have a nondescript triple-double.
But the play of Dereck Lively II on Sunday against the Nuggets provided some evidence that the 20-year-old Mavericks’ center has the potential to some day play a lot like Jokic does.
Granted, Lively has a few intermediate steps to conquer.