Dereck Lively II played 28 minutes in Thursday’s win over the Spurs, accounting for 15 points (6-of-8 FGs, 3-of-5 FTs), 11 rebounds, six assists, and one steal.
There has been no shortage of questions regarding how Mavericks coach Jason Kidd will handle the center position this season. He went with Daniel Gafford as his starter against the Spurs, but Lively played more minutes. While the second-year pivot logged 28 minutes and recorded a double-double with six assists, Gafford chipped in with nine points, six rebounds, two assists, one steal, and one blocked shot in 19. If this is the split we get moving forward, that’s great news for managers who have Lively rostered.