Jason Kidd Reveals Plans for Mavericks Dereck Lively II
DALLAS—Although Dereck Lively II hasn't played up to an All-Star level, despite the hype before the 2024-25 season commenced, the Dallas Mavericks center merits praise for his developments. Following Tuesday's Mavericks 118-97 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at the American Airlines Center, Jason Kidd revealed plans for Lively.
While Lively is known primarily for dunking and rejecting the ball, he's also an underrated passer. The Duke alum posts a 14.6 assists percentage. Although such a number doesn't seem significant, it speaks volumes compared to other players with more possessions.
Of the players who have the ball in their hands at a significant rate, aside from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, Lively ranks higher than PJ Washington, Quentin Grimes, Naji Marshall, Klay Thompson, and Jaden Hardy in assists percentage.
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After Tuesday's game, Kidd shared his opinion regarding Lively's potential and current skill level as a passer.
“He’s one of our best passers, identifying the back door, he’s very comfortable with making that play…His next step, we’re not gonna say he’s gonna be the next Joker (Nikola Jokic), but being able to play-make and turning down that first guy or being able to be aggressive," Kidd said. "To look to score for himself as much as he does for his teammates…Just like we’re gonna let him shoot threes at some point…”
The Mavericks have grand ideas for Lively's future. Although Kidd stopped short at the Denver Nuggets Jokic tier, the Mavericks head coach spoke genuinely of Lively's capabilities.
Furthermore, in addition to pointing out Lively's potential for passing and scoring, the 3-point shot came into the conversation. Aside from pregame shootaround, the 3-point shot hasn't appeared in Lively's repertoire during the 2024-25 season. However, he converted on the one triple he shot amid the Mavericks 2024 NBA Finals.
Kidd hasn't pushed Lively to make such a leap in a league that motivates players to step out to the 3-point line. Lively's state of mind coincides with Kidd's current focus on the center. In September, Lively stated he wanted to focus on"owning the paint," as he noted the Mavericks have plenty of capable 3-point shooters.
Lively is averaging 8.7 points, nearly identical to his 8.8 average last season. Although he technically averages fewer points, he's improved as a scorer.
Last season, Lively played it safe in terms of where he shot the ball. However, during the 2024-25 season, he's extended his shooting range, as he attempts 38 percent of his shots within 3-10 feet, compared to only 23 percent of his looks from such a scope. Moreover, he's shooting an impressive 61 percent from such range, as he's now excelling in hook shots and floaters.
Kidd is wise not to put Jokic-sized expectations on Lively, but he realizes the star-level potential of the Mavericks center.
