Dereck Lively II struggles in Game 5 defeat
Dereck Lively II finished Monday’s 106-88 loss to the Celtics with two points (1-of-2 FGs), four rebounds, and one blocked shot in 24 minutes.
Advice: After recording double-doubles in Games 3 and 4, Lively had a rough Game 5 in Boston. The rookie center still played over twice as many minutes as starting center Daniel Gafford, as his skill set appeared to be a better fit for this matchup. The ending to the season wasn’t good, but this was a rookie year that Lively can build upon. Lively, the 12th overall pick in last summer’s draft, landed in an excellent spot regarding his career path. He’s played well off of star guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, showing signs of being able to take on the “Tyson Chandler role” the Mavericks envisioned when they acquired his draft rights from Oklahoma City. Lively finished the season as a 10th-round player in 9-cat formats, with injuries and the passing of his mother limiting the rookie to 55 games. Another offseason to strengthen his skill set should boost Lively’s value, even if he continues to share the center responsibilities with Daniel Gafford.
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