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Dereck Lively II will be one of several Dallas Mavericks players tasked to defend the OKC Thunder's Chet Holmgren. Lively recently outlined the blueprint on how to slow down the young Thunder star in their Western Conference semifinals matchup starting on Tuesday.
The Mavs rookie big man, speaking after Sunday's practice was asked several questions, one of which was about how to guard Holmgren, one of the three finalists for the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
"He's a great player. He picks and pops, he can roll, he can finish and he can shoot. There's a lot of things overall he can do well. So it's just gonna be able to find his rhythm, try to be able to get him off of his spots, try to make him uncomfortable."
Dereck Lively II and Chet Holmgren are two of the best rookie big men this season, but the latter is not really part of the draft class. He was the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, behind Paolo Banchero and ahead of Jabari Smith Jr.
Holmgren missed his entire first season due to a foot injury suffered in a game last summer playing against LeBron James. He was more than ready this season, though, averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.3 blocks. He played all 82 games for the OKC Thunder.
Meanwhile, Lively was a revelation for the Dallas Mavericks after taking him 12th overall in last year's draft. He started 42 games and was in sync with Luka Doncic from the get-go. He was relegated to a backup role following the acquisition of P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford, though.
Lively had an injury-filled regular season, so limiting his minutes was the better choice for the Mavs. He thrived in his current role in their first round series win over the LA Clippers. He's going to be a factor in their matchup against the Thunder, who lacks size at the four and five positions.
Chet Holmgren's defense is more valuable than his offense
While the Dallas Mavericks will have their hands full on Chet Holmgren on offense, they better prepare for his defense as well. Holmgren is not the first or second option for the OKC Thunder, but he's the anchor of their defense.
Jalen Williams, who had a breakout second season, called Holmgren the secret to the Thunder's success in being a great defensive team. The Gonzaga product's length and athleticism help in defending the paint and the perimeter.
He's lanky and quick enough to defend guards and strong enough to challenge bigger players in the paint.
"He covers up a lot at the rim. That was the one thing we were missing last year.
"When you have somebody that has good defensive instincts like him, he is also bought into what we are trying to do defensively, and he is really smart, knows when to rotate and can go out there and play guards," Williams told reporters after their practice last Thursday. [H/T Sports Illustrated]
