The Mavericks, like every other team in the NBA, tried to serve up a buffet of defenses against Denver center and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
And, actually, unlike Sunday, they had some measure of effectiveness on Tuesday when Jokic had 10 points, 10 assists and 14 rebounds. But that just shows how good he is – he can have a nondescript triple-double.
But the play of Dereck Lively II on Sunday against the Nuggets provided some evidence that the 20-year-old Mavericks’ center has the potential to some day play a lot like Jokic does.
Granted, Lively has a few intermediate steps to conquer. But he’s already laid a wonderful foundation. He had eight assists in Sunday’s game against Jokic and the Nuggets.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that, on Tuesday night, he went down after just four minutes with a sprained right ankle. He did not return to the game. He had four quick points before he exited.
Though the Mavericks got Kyrie Irving back Tuesday, coach Jason Kidd assessed the injury situation like this after the game: “Unfortunately we’re still going to be with injuries with D-Live probably being out. And so, when someone comes back like that, we can learn from it. We’ll be able to use this game as we get healthy that we cannot just rely on Kai or Luka Dončić or Dante or D-Live. You have to do your part and tonight we just as a whole didn’t do our part.”
Lively’s impression is not just strong from a Mavericks’ perspective. He has fans across the NBA.
“I think Dereck Lively is a hell of a young talent,” Denver coach Michael Malone said before Tuesday’s game. “They have a two- and sometimes three-headed monster. But to Jason Kidd’s credit, they’re not letting Nikola play in the post. So it’s really hard to say how Dereck Lively did because every time we posted Nikola, they double-teamed him right away, had two bodies on him, they pre-rotated.
“But Dereck Lively’s upside and potential is obviously incredible. He was a big reason for the run they had last season.”
Lively is growing his game at a sensible pace. This season, he has added an effective jump-hook using either hand. And his next step will be to stretch his shot-making beyond the paint.
And of course, his rebounding and passing are critical to his development.
Asked whether Lively some day could have the sort of overall game that produces triple-doubles, which Jokic gets by the bushel, coach Jason Kidd said:
“Why not? He has the skill set. We’ll raise the bar here as we go forward. He’s 20 years old and understands the game.
“Being able to be the hub is in his DNA. So why wouldn’t we want to see triple doubles from him? It’ll just make the game easier for everybody.”
Gathering more attention: Before Sunday’s game, Malone made a point of talking up Quentin Grimes and Jaden Hardy, who have been the Mavericks’ primary bench options at the wing and backcourt positions.
Both were averaging 18 points in the four games before Denver came to town. But on Sunday they were limited to a combined nine points on 3-of-9 shooting.
Kidd said it’s a sign that opponents are paying more attention to Grimes and Hardy.
“They’re definitely on the radar with their (recent) success,” Kidd said. “With Grimes and Hardy, being consistent is the next step for both of those guys. But with the injuries we’ve had those guys are definitely on the scouting report now and will continue to be if they’re playing at the high level they are.”
The hope Tuesday was that, with Kyrie Irving back in the lineup, all of the Mavericks would get some cleaner looks at the basket.
That didn’t really happen for Hardy or Grimes on Tuesday – or any of the other Mavericks, either.
Measured comeback: The Mavericks should take note of how the Nuggets are handling Aaron Gordon’s return to action.
Their 6-8 forward missed nine games after Christmas when he suffered a strained calf muscle. He had missed 10 games in a row earlier in the season with the same injury.
For that reason, the Nuggets have made a conscious effort to limit the playing time of Gordon for the foreseeable future.
“He got off to a great start this year, and twice now to get injured with the same injury and not be able to play . . . I think he’s at a point that, let’s be smart about our approach, even in a competitive situation,” Malone said. “We’re in the fourth quarter and we’re coming back (Sunday) and he had a lot to do with that. Hey, we’re at your minutes restriction, you got to come out. That’s not easy. But I think he understands. The last thing Aaron Gordon wants is to be sidelined with another injury for an extended period of time.”
The Mavericks no doubt are analyzing the merits of a similar strategy when Luka Dončić returns from his injury, which also is a calf muscle strain. It doesn’t mean that’s the way they’ll do it. Every player and every injury is different.
But it’s certainly an option.
Briefly: Shedeur Sanders, quarterback for the Colorado Buffaloes, attended Tuesday’s game. Not sure if that has any hidden meaning about his father, Buffs’ coach Deion, having any potential future connection with the Cowboys . . . In addition, several Texas Rangers attended the game, including Corey Seager . . . For the second time in a row, the Mavericks were outrebounded badly as Denver rolled up a 51-30 advantage on the glass. The Mavericks also had their second consecutive game in which their shooting eyes betrayed them. They were 9-of-32 (28 percent) from three-point range. “Physicality,” Kidd said of the problem with the rebounding, then added: “And we missed some shots, too. We got some guys who are not shooting the ball well. We got to get the ball going straight.”
X: @ESefko
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