Klay Thompson Channels Mavs Icon in Lively

As soon as Klay Thompson arrived in Dallas, he expressed his appreciation of the history of the Mavericks, particularly the 2011 NBA playoffs – which was the moment that excited him for basketball. The four-time NBA champion also revealed how looking back at the annoying playoff action stirred his hunger to win the title.

"There is no other feeling like winning championships," Thompson noted happily. Thompson’s recent praise for the Mavericks’ up-and-coming talent, Dereck Lively II, presents an interesting similarity with the Maverick's postseason run 2011 that captured Thompson's interest.

However, the team’s trend of rotating a lot of centers within the 21 years of Dirk Nowitzki's impressive career does not seem to work with Thompson as he tries to figure out who Lively reminds him of. If one player stands out in his head, it is Tyson Chandler.

"He reminds me so much of Tyson Chandler early on," Thompson said. "He loves being vocal, he loves defense, and he's still so young, the sky's the limit."

Lively's Defensive Mastery

In the NBA Finals 2024, Lively emerged as one of the Mavericks' key players.

He was Daniel Gafford's counterpart, and both showcased different traits of the center role. Gafford contributed brute force, while Lively demonstrated wonderful agility and speed, which is uncommon for him. He was also effective in lowering the opponents’ field goal percentage from the restricted area to 47 percent whenever he was on the floor.

In the case of the Mavericks, Chandler was effective not in entertaining the masses with acting but in defending everybody. Lively seems to be stepping forward mainly in the same fashion, undaunted on the floor and off. As one might expect, it is along these lines of Lively’s development where the most vehicle of writing would lie.

He dares to say that Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert is overrated. A confident Chandler brought the Mavs over the Timberwolves in the quest for the NBA title. Lively could hip-hop and boast, which leads one back to Chandler’s wrist, carving a niche for one in the team aiming for their next title.