DALLAS — When Dereck Lively II was first drafted, he did not expect to achieve the results he’s provided the Dallas Mavericks. Many felt he’d take time to develop, potentially requiring some time in the G League. He became an indispensable contributor before the regular season even began.
Lively averaged 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 55 games, shooting 74.7% from the floor. His production for a 50-win team earned him a spot on the NBA’s All-Rookie Second Team. He’s continued to provide a substantial impact in the postseason, averaging 8.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists despite coming off the bench with a historic +87 plus-minus, trailing only Manu Ginobili (+191) among rookies during a postseason run.
“Coming into my first season, I never imagined my season would be like this,” Lively said. “I never imagined the position I’d be in or to have this much success. So I’m grateful. And I’m just trying to focus on what we have going forward.”
May 18, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) shoots as Oklahoma / Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The impact Lively provides the Mavericks has completely changed the franchise. He’s been an explosive lob threat and overall highly efficient play finisher. He’s a smart decision-maker in short roll situations along with showing continually improving ability to handle scoring in those situations. He’s a very talkative leader as a defensive anchor who does the dirty work with a lot of energy in the paint, crashing both the boarsd at a high level on offense and defense. He’s everything the organization could have asked for in recent years to pair with Luka Doncic and now Kyrie Irving.
Advertisement
Lively was grateful to earn his regular season honor, but as he’s continued to show in the postseason, his impact this season has been among the very best among his rookie peers. He is focused on helping the Mavericks contend for a championship over individual accolades or statistics.
“They (voters) are going to look in the regular season of who’s making the most noise, who had the most eyes on them,” Lively said. “But no matter if I have 10 points, 10 rebounds, 10 blocks or zero points, zero rebounds, zero blocks, zero assists, I just want to win.
“It doesn’t matter if I’m first-team all-rookie, I don’t care about all that,” Lively explained. “I just want to go out there and get the W.”
Part of the rookie experience involves the rookie wall that many talk about. Lively admitted he felt it in November or December given all of the adjustments that are required not just on the court, but regarding lifestyle. He clearly handled it well as he maintained an instrumental contributor.
“Man, I hit the wall when the season started. November, I probably hit the wall. December, January, let’s be honest, but it’s basketball. You can get tired,” Lively admitted.
Advertisement
“You’re going to be tired mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally with all the things going on with all the media going on,” Lively elaborated. “If you go outside, no matter if you want to be seen or not, it’s kind of hard because you are labeled as a Mavs player, and you’re a basketball player.”
As Lively continues to be an impact player in the playoffs, he leans on the advice of his mother, Kathy Drysdale, who recently passed away. Lively mentioned a phrase, “sink or swim,” that his mother would use throughout his childhood to handle difficult situations.
“I feel like it comes back to my mom’s own saying, and this goes back to when I was a baby: sink or swim,” Lively said. “You’re going to be in high-intensity moments, do-or-die moments, as you could call them. You’re either going to float, stay alive, and figure out how to learn and adapt, or you’re going to sink and fall to the floor. No one wants to sink; everyone wants to stay afloat.”
READ MORE: Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving Tandem Instrumental in Deep Playoff Run
The Oklahoma City Thunder tried to intentionally send Lively to the free throw line in some late-game situations during the Mavericks’ Western Conference semifinal series. Lively mentioned how he didn’t view it as a challenge from the opponent. Instead, he would lean on his mother’s voice when he stepped up to the free-throw line. He shot 50.6% from the free throw line in the regular season but raised it to 66.7% against the Thunder.
Advertisement
“It wasn’t even a challenge from them. I heard my mom in my ear saying, ‘If you miss it, you suck.’ So you just have to step up and make those easy shots,” Lively said. “If they’re going to give you free shots, you have to make them. Whenever you miss them, it just makes you want to get in the gym and work on it that much more.”
Lively’s next challenge will be against a star-studded frontcourt with four-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns when taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals. Interestingly enough, Lively’s first exposure to NBA basketball involved
” I got to be able to be more sound whenever there’s a, you know, he’s been what multiple time defensive player of the year. And they have a lot, they have a lot of size for multiple, multiple positions.. You got to be able to learn to be able to adapt, got to be able to find the holes and what they have in the defense, and just be able to try to come out on top.”
Lively has respect for the impact Gobert provides defensively, particularly emphasizing the difficulty of account for his timing, positioning, and wingspan.
“I would say his timing, his positioning, his arm length, and his being able to just understand who’s coming,” Lively said of Gobert. “If they’re going to come down the lane and you’re a right-hand finisher, he’s going to sit on your right hand, knowing that you’re not going to go to your left. Or if he knows that you have a lot of athleticism, he’s going to meet you one step earlier, so you can’t load up as far.
Advertisement
“Just being able to know that he’s been doing this for a lot of years is going to make it that much harder, but it’s going to make it that much more fun to learn,” Lively explained.
One reporter asked Lively since Kyrie can go left or right, Gobert can’t block Kyrie’s shot, right? Lively replied: “Good luck.
Lively admitted he’s been trying all season to figure out how to block Irving’s shot in practice: “I’ve been trying to figure out how to block his shot all year, and I haven’t had much success. Knowing we have Kyrie Irving there will make him think. That’s where I’m going to try to find little holes in the defense.”
Denver Nuggets (22-15, fourth in the Western Conference) vs. Dallas Mavericks (22-16, fifth in the Western Conference)
Dallas; Sunday, 3 p.m. EST
Advertisement
BOTTOM LINE: Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets visit Kyrie Irving and the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday.
The Mavericks have gone 16-13 against Western Conference opponents. Dallas is ninth in the NBA with 45.2 rebounds led by Dereck Lively averaging 8.2.
The Nuggets have gone 14-10 against Western Conference opponents. Denver is third in the NBA scoring 120.6 points per game while shooting 49.9%.
The Mavericks average 116.4 points per game, 0.1 fewer points than the 116.5 the Nuggets give up. The Nuggets score 8.8 more points per game (120.6) than the Mavericks allow (111.8).
TOP PERFORMERS: Irving is shooting 49.0% and averaging 24.3 points for the Mavericks.
Advertisement
Russell Westbrook is shooting 45.9% and averaging 12.9 points for the Nuggets.
LAST 10 GAMES: Mavericks: 4-6, averaging 111.1 points, 43.9 rebounds, 23.1 assists, 7.0 steals and 7.1 blocks per game while shooting 46.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 110.9 points per game.
Nuggets: 6-4, averaging 122.8 points, 45.5 rebounds, 32.0 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 50.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 117.1 points.
INJURIES: Mavericks: Dante Exum: out (wrist), Luka Doncic: out (calf), Kyrie Irving: out (illness).
Nuggets: Aaron Gordon: day to day (calf), Jamal Murray: day to day (knee), DaRon Holmes II: out for season (achilles), Spencer Jones: day to day (thigh), Vlatko Cancar: out (knee).
Advertisement
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. – Former Dallas Cowboys defensive end Robert Quinn was arrested in South Carolina Friday morning after police said he tried to leave the scene of an accident.
Quinn, 34, was charged with leaving the scene of an accident with property damage and reckless driving, jail records show.
Advertisement
What we know:
Police in North Charleston, South Carolina responded to a car dealership just after 2 a.m. Friday because of a collision involving a red truck.
Advertisement
The North Charleston Fire Department arrived first on the scene and told police that the suspect might be attempting to leave the scene of the crash in another car.
When police arrived, they found Quinn in the passenger seat of a white Dodge Challenger that had its reverse lights on. The vehicle’s driver placed the car in park and told police she had been called by Quinn to “pick him up,” according to a police report.
Police said Quinn had visible injuries to his head and face, had slurred speech and was uncooperative with officers who asked for his identification.
Advertisement
Quinn eventually provided his identification to officers, but asked himself “where is my wallet” while his wallet was in his hand before dropping it in his lap.
The police report states a maroon Ford F-150 registered to Quinn was on the other side of the parking lot and looked to be the vehicle that started the collision.
Advertisement
Police said Quinn’s truck hit the passenger side of a Honda Element, which was pushed into a blue Ford F-150 that hit another car.
Officers asked Quinn to get out of the Challenger, but Quinn resisted by holding the door to the car, the report states. Police removed Quinn from the vehicle, and he was “escorted to the ground” by officers because he was trying to pull away from them.
Officers interviewed the woman with Quinn, who said she had met him at G-Club, a gentleman’s club, where she works, earlier that night.
Advertisement
Another employee of the club came to the scene and said Quinn had left alone about an hour before the collision happened.
Timeline:
Advertisement
Police said they used city cameras to build a timeline of the crash.
The police report states Quinn’s truck was seen driving down the road around 2 a.m. Friday and was veering left, crossed an intersection, a median and then onto dealership property.
City cameras did not pick up the collision, but it can be heard, the police report states.
Advertisement
Police said around 2:03 a.m. a single person is seen walking through the parking lot and a few minutes later that person walked to a Valero gas station.
At 2:07 a.m., the person is seen walking back to the dealership parking lot while stumbling and falling several times, the police report states.
Advertisement
About a minute later, a white Dodge Challenger is seen entering the parking lot around the same time that the fire department arrived, according to the report.
Dallas Cowboys Defensive End
Quinn played the 2019 season with the Dallas Cowboys after being traded from the Miami Dolphins for a sixth-round pick.
Advertisement
Quinn was suspended for the first two games of the season after violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. He was named the team’s starting right defensive end when he was reinstated.
Quinn finished the season with 25 tackles, 11.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.
Quinn signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Chicago Bears the following season.
Advertisement
Quinn was drafted 14th overall by the St. Louis Rams in 2011 and spent six years with the team before going to Miami, Dallas, Chicago and ending his career in 2022 with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Quinn was born in North Charleston, South Carolina, where he played high school football before playing college football for the University of North Carolina.
Advertisement
The backstory:
This isn’t Quinn’s first tangle with law enforcement.
July 2012 – Florissant, Mo.
Advertisement
Quinn was arrested for driving while intoxicated in July 2012 in Florissant, Missouri, while a member of the St. Louis Rams.
Florissant police said Quinn was involved in a single-car accident on an exit ramp of Interstate 270 on July 10, 2012. Police said he was cooperative with them during the arrest.
Quinn was also charged with failure to exercise a high degree of care and having no insurance.
Advertisement
August 2023 – Summerville, S.C.
In August 2023, Quinn was arrested in Summerville, South Carolina after police found four unoccupied vehicles in a subdivision had been damaged.
At some point, Quinn allegedly exited his vehicle and got into a physical altercation with a woman before leaving the scene.
Advertisement
According to an accident report, a Ford F-150 truck crashed into multiple vehicles. Responding officers proceeded to search the vehicle and found an empty whiskey bottle on the passenger side floorboard.
Per the police report, the unidentified woman was sitting in her driveway when the suspect hit two parked vehicles. The driver then exited the truck and offered to buy her beer, the woman told investigators.
Advertisement
Quinn was charged with third-degree assault and battery, hit-and-run of an attended vehicle, four counts of hit-and-run property damage and striking fixtures on or adjacent to the highway.
What’s next:
Quinn was booked into the Charleston County, South Carolina jail.
Advertisement
Jail records show Quinn has a preliminary court date set for Feb. 27, 2025.
The Source: Information in this article comes from the North Charleston police department and previous FOX reporting.
Advertisement
Crime and Public SafetySouth CarolinaDallas Cowboys
DALLAS – North Texas got less snow than expected overnight.
FOX 4 Weather Meteorologist Evan Andrews said it was one of those crazy forecasts where some people got exactly what they expected, and others got the opposite.
Advertisement
“Some of you got that heavier precipitation [on Thursday]. Others were waiting for some overnight, and the precip overnight really never got going. We got a little bit of light snow on the backend but not a ton,” he said.
For snow lovers, the snow that was on the ground from Thursday is still there. However, the total accumulation did not increase much overnight.
Snowfall Totals (as of 4 a.m. Friday)
Advertisement
Overall, the areas of highest accumulation were north of Highway 182 in Cooke and Grayson counties. Areas like Gainesville, Sherman, and Bonham got more than 6 inches of snow.
A lot of people in Wise, Denton, and Collin counties got between 3 and 6 inches.
Advertisement
Fort Worth and North Dallas saw between 1 and 3 inches.
People south of Dallas got less than an inch of snow.
Thursday Snowfall (as of 9 p.m.)
Advertisement
Future Snowfall
No additional accumulation is expected on Friday, with the exception of maybe a few light flakes early Friday morning.
The Source: The information in this story comes from the FOX 4 Weather team.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25822586/STK169_ZUCKERBERG_MAGA_STKS491_CVIRGINIA_A.jpg "Meta is highlighting a splintering global approach to online speech")