Kidd has his eye on rookie center Lively.
Head coach Jason Kidd signed a contract with the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the 2021-2022 season. Led by Luka Doncic (201 cm, F), the team went 52-30. In the playoffs, he led the team to the 토토사이트 Conference Finals.
Failed to re-sign Jaylen Brunson (183 cm, G). Failed to stop the decline. Acquired Kyrie Irving (188 cm, G) during the season, but failed to rebound, finishing with 38 wins and 44 losses. Failed to make the playoffs despite high expectations. The offense was adequate, but the defense was the problem.
To shore up the defense, Dallas was busy in the offseason. They added Rion Holmes (203 cm, F), Grant Williams (198 cm, F), and Derrick Jones Jr (198 cm, F).
Head coach Jason Kidd told ESPN: “Nothing is set in stone for this season. We’re going to go with a Doncic-Irving-Williams center. Those three guys are going to be the centerpiece. And we’re looking for players to help them,” he said of his plans for next season.
After missing the playoffs, Dallas acquired the 12th overall pick in the 2023-2024 NBA Draft via trade. They selected Derrick Lively II (218 cm, C). Lively averaged 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game at Duke.
Coach Kidd said, “We’re going to give a lot of opportunities to our younger players. We might give Lively, our rookie center, a chance to be the starting center. He’s more than capable. He’s going to be a great addition to our defense,” Kidd said, adding that he plans to use Lilliby as a starter.
Dallas struggled a bit with defense last season after acquiring Irving. With the addition of Lilliby at the same time as the forward additions, could Dallas be a different team next season? Kidd identified rookie center Lilliby as a key player.