Anthony Davis spent most of the first half of the season pleading with the Los Angeles Lakers to acquire a center so that he could return to playing power forward. Instead, the Lakers granted him his wish by trading him to the Dallas Mavericks, where he joined a roster with two full-time centers in Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford. This ensured Davis could fulfill his wish of playing as a full-time power forward once again.
Gafford and Lively have been injured alongside Davis for the last two months, but the three seven-footers played their first game together in a 120-118 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Davis discussed playing alongside the two centers and was happy with the 'lot easier' challenge of being a full-time power forward.
“It makes my job easier, as far as defensively, I’m able to roam and just kinda be like the free safety. Just kinda help everybody on the floor," said Davis during a post-game interview. "A lot easier for me. Less stress as far as guarding every pick and roll, being in every pick and roll, it was good to have one of those guys with me on the floor with me at all times.”
“We saw a little bit of it in the Houston game," said Davis when asked about the effectiveness of having a big to play alongside. "We know how dominant we can be when we are all healthy and available. It’s just about us going out there and enforcing our dominance.”
Davis put up 34 points (14-23 FG), 15 rebounds, five blocks, and the game-winning floater in the win over the Hawks.
The center duo had mixed results, as Dereck Lively II struggled in his first game since January 2025. He put up just four points (1-1 FG) and five rebounds in under 16 minutes. Gafford fared better in his second game since returning from his injury, putting up 11 points (5-7 FG) and six rebounds in 20 minutes.
Anthony Davis Impressed With Dereck Lively II
Dereck Lively II saved the Mavericks franchise when they drafted him in the 2023 NBA Draft with the 12th pick. He joined the team coming off a disastrous season where they lost Jalen Brunson for nothing, made a mid-season acquisition for Kyrie Irving, and wound up finishing as the No. 11 seed in the West one year after a Conference Finals appearance.
Lively's presence as a rookie alongside Luka Doncic made the team instantly effective, with his style of play making the team comfortable with adding another player in the same mold as Daniel Gafford at the 2024 trade deadline. Although Doncic is now gone, Lively remains the best young asset on the franchise right now.
Anthony Davis has loved what he's seen from Lively so far.
“Very skilled. He’s only gonna continue to get better. He’s always asking me about certain moves and how to read the floor on offense and defense, and I’m happy just that I’ve kinda taken him under my wing to teach him some stuff, actually learned under Tyson (Chandler)… He’s gonna be a great player in this league. He wants to get better, he wants to be great…”
Lively is averaging 9.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks this season, struggling with injuries all year.
He couldn't get a chance to showcase his development this season, especially after imbibing a style of play that made him most effective when he was sharing the court with Doncic. Lively's development will be crucial for the Mavericks going forward, especially if they trade Gafford to address holes at guard this offseason.
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