Dallas, TX
Dereck Lively II ‘Grateful’ for Impactful Rookie Season with Dallas Mavericks
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.”
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.
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.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
The Dallas Cowboys boasted one of the best offenses in the NFL this past season, but it wasn’t enough to get them into the playoffs. Even with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, George Pickens, and Javonte Williams, they were unable to make up for their porous defense, finishing the season 7-9-1.
This offseason, Dallas was on a mission to fix that defense. Jerry Jones vowed he would put in the work and while they might not have an elite unit, they definitely look improved on paper.
With the biggest moves this offseason done, let’s rank the position groups for the Cowboys, which begins with the most obvious strength.
Wide Receiver
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens are arguably the best duo in the game, which makes this the Cowboys’ strongest position on its own. Throw in Ryan Flournoy, who had a breakout season in 2025, and it looks even better.
Dallas has depth beyond this as well, with KaVontae Turpin, who had 396 yards receiving last year, as their WR4. Even rookie seventh-round pick Anthony Smith has some upside.
Safety
Rookie Caleb Downs immediately makes this group better, but he’s not the only addition. The Cowboys also signed Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke in free agency. For good measure, they also have Malik Hooker as they turned a perennial weakness into a strength this offseason.
Quarterback
Dak Prescott carries this group, especially after another spectacular season. Behind Prescott, however, the Cowboys are still strong with Joe Milton III and Sam Howell. Either player could wind up as the QB2 and could keep the offense going in the short-term.
Defensive Line
Defensive tackle has been a weakness for years, but Jones decided that had to change. Entering 2026, Dallas has Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark, Otitto Ogbonnia, Jonathan Bullard, and rookie LT Overton, which is a solid group.
Offensive Line
The interior of the Dallas offensive line could make this one of the best groups overall with Cooper Beebe, Tyler Smith, and Tyler Guyton all standing out at their respective positions.
The problem is that offensive tackle has some concerns. Tyler Guyton hasn’t lived up to his draft status and Terence Steele hasn’t played up to his contract. Drew Shelton could eventually take over for one, but the rookie needs time to develop.
EDGE
There’s not an All-Pro on the edge like there was when Micah Parsons was in Dallas, but the group is much deeper this season. Rashan Gary, Donovan Ezeiruaku, Malachi Lawrence, and James Houston can all have big roles this season. They’re even going to try Marist Liufau on the edge, but the depth might be an issue for him.
Tight End
Jake Ferguson had eight touchdowns in 2025, which was huge. The problem is that he struggled with ball security, hardly had any yards after the catch, and finished with an average of just 7.3 yards per reception.
Luke Schoonmaker has been the TE2, but he could be pushed by Brevyn Spann-Ford. Undrafted free agent Michael Trigg is a player to watch, but he’s unlikely to produce much as a rookie.
Cornerback
Defensive coordinator Christian Parker is a fan of Shavon Revel, and if he can turn him into a starter, that would be huge for this position.
Right now, there are far too many questions, with the durability of DaRon Bland being chief among them.
Entering OTAs, there’s a chance free agent pickup Cobie Durant could be their best option at cornerback. He’s a solid addition, but they need someone else to step up as well.
Linebacker
We recently noted that linebacker remains the greatest need on this team. They did a great job by trading for Dee Winters and rookie Jaishawn Barham could wind up being a great fit.
That said, they need DeMarvion Overshown to stay healthy for this group to succeed. If he misses time, their lack of depth will hurt them.
Running Back
Linebacker might be the primary need, but running back comes in last here due to the concerns behind Javonte Williams.
There’s no denying that Williams is a stud. He broke out in 2025 with 1,201 yards but the depth is questionable. If second-year back Jaydon Blue improves, this position group would climb the ranks in a hurry. For now, however, there are too many question marks.
— Sign up for the Cowboys Daily Digest newsletter for more free coverage from Dallas Cowboys on SI —
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
Morton started 15 games in 1972 for an injured Staubach, who eventually returned in the playoffs. The Cowboys decided to trade Morton in 1974 to the Giants, who sent back a first-round pick, which turned out to be the No. 2 overall pick in 1975. The Cowboys used that selection to take Randy White, a 10-time Pro Bowler and future Hall of Famer.
Ironically enough, White’s best game was likely Super Bowl XII, when he was named Co-MVP with Harvey Martin. The Cowboys’ Doomsday defense dominated the Broncos, who were quarterbacked by Morton.
Overall, Morton played for the Cowboys, Giants and Broncos before officially retiring at the end of the 1982 season.
His career ended with 27,908 passing yards, ranking him 71st in NFL history, just ahead of Hall of Famer Joe Namath (27,663).
With the official NFL schedule coming this week, the Dallas Cowboys have revealed when, where and against who their Week 1 contest will be.
The Cowboys announced that they will square off against the New York Giants on the road in Week 1, with the game set for Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7:20 p.m. CT. So, it’s prime time for the Cowboys to start the season.
This is the second game we know about for the Cowboys this year. Of course, we know they will be playing on Thanksgiving, also.
The official schedule will drop on May 14, the NFL announced last week. Schedules for all 32 teams will be revealed on ESPN and the NFL Network, but each team will unveil its own schedule on social media, also.
The Cowboys were always likely to play a road game in Week 1 because of an Usher and Chris Brown concert taking place at AT&T Stadium that week.
Dallas will also be impacted by an Ed Sheeran concert in Week 7, so that’s another potential road game. They could also play on Monday or Thursday that week, or have a bye.
Cowboys’ strength of schedule
According to Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis, the Cowboys are not going to have an easy road to make the postseason.
The Cowboys have the fourth-toughest schedule in the NFL going into the 2026 season, with only the Arizona Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers having tougher slates.
Dallas’ schedule is also the third-toughest in the NFC, and the most difficult in the NFC East.
Sharp does his strength of schedule rankings based on win totals from Vegas oddsmakers rather than utilizing the previous season’s records because that metric doesn’t factor in offseason changes.
The Cowboys will play home games against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers, Tennessee Titans, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.
On the road, Dallas will square off against the Giants, Eagles, Commanders, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers.
Of those opponents, seven of them made the postseason in 2025, a list that includes the Jaguars, 49ers, Eagles, Texans, Rams, Seahawks and Packers.
All of those teams should be as good in 2026, and teams like the Colts, Titans, Ravens, Bucs, Giants and Commanders have a very real chance to be improved as well.
It won’t be an easy road for Dallas to get back to the playoffs in 2026, but there’s at least hope following a defensive overhaul.
Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow
-
Business5 minutes agoF.D.A. Commissioner Marty Makary Resigns After Weeks of Pressure
-
Science11 minutes agoA Taxidermist Gives Dead Animals a New Life
-
Health17 minutes ago‘Trimester Zero’: What to Expect When You’re Expecting to Expect
-
Culture29 minutes agoRevolution is the Theme at the Firsts London Book Fair
-
Lifestyle35 minutes agoLeigh Magar, High-End Milliner Turned Indigo Artist, Dies at 57
-
Education41 minutes agoLuna Lab Is Building a Future for Female Composers
-
Technology47 minutes agoSam Altman says Elon Musk’s mind games were damaging OpenAI
-
World53 minutes agoMacron takes the stage uninvited at Africa summit to scold crowd for ‘total lack of respect’