Lively II cements his spot as Mavs' starting center amid gutsy internal battle

The Dallas Mavericks won their most improbable contest of the season on Tuesday evening at home, as the Mavericks erased a 15-point fourth-quarter lead by the Memphis Grizzlies to come back and win by a score of 121-116. This game held heavy implications for Dallas' ability to advance in the Emirates NBA Cup, as the Mavericks had to win to secure a wild card spot ahead of the knockout rounds.

This game featured some very sloppy basketball from Dallas, as they had 25 turnovers and shot 68.2 percent on free throws in the game, However, the Mavericks were extremely aggressive all night long, getting to the free throw line for a combined 44 attempts. Dallas got Memphis into the bonus early in the fourth quarter and subsequently shot 26 free throws in the fourth quarter alone because of that, which helped catapult Dallas' offense in the waning moments of the game when Spencer Dinwiddie and P.J. Washington cashed from outside.

Outside of Washington and Dinwiddie, the Mavericks struggled to create offense from their role players, and Kyrie Irving had one of his worst shooting games of the season by going 3-14 from the field. Luka Doncic's 37-point effort in this game was paramount in Dallas staying connected all night long, but perhaps the most defining factor in Dallas' victory was Dereck Lively II's stellar play on both ends.

Lively II's rim running and athleticism should cement his starting role

Lively II had a season-high 17 points in this game, with 10 of those points coming in a quick nine-minute span in the second quarter. Lively II has struggled defending bigger-bodied centers at times this season, but that was not the case on Tuesday night. His improvements offensively have been well documented and this was easily his best game of the entire season, as he also chipped in 11 rebounds and three blocks in the game, showcasing the full array of his talents in this contest.

After battling some minor injuries and illnesses recently, Lively II is poised to be Dallas' permanent starting center this season if this level of production continues. Fellow big-man standout Daniel Gafford has had an awesome season on both ends as well, and Gafford has been a starter for Dallas this season semi-frequently.

However, Gafford's insertion into the starting five earlier this season seemed to be more of an experimental tinker by Kidd, even though Gafford has thrived whether coming off the bench or starting for the most part. Gafford is an elite finisher through contact and is extremely athletic himself, but he doesn't bring the same level of uncanny length and athleticism that Lively II does.

Lively II is a legit 7-foot-1, while Gafford is around 6-foot-10, and Lively II nearly has five more inches on his wingspan compared to Gafford. Against lengthy and physical centers such as Jaren Jackson Jr. last night, Lively II's athleticism and ability to play above the rim is truly unrivaled by any Maverick on this roster, as even Gafford can't punish defenders in the lob game to the same level of consistency as Lively II can.

It's great to see Lively II back in the starting five with a healthy Doncic, as that tandem has unmatched levels of chemistry together, and Doncic has a massive target in Lively II to pinpoint passes to in the pick-and-roll game. Lively II had some insane finishes at the rim on Tuesday night, such as his alley-oop poster dunk over Jackson Jr., and he was a key factor in deterring Ja Morant from becoming a more explosive player at the rim in the first half.

With Lively II having started every game that he's played in since Nov. 14 against the Utah Jazz, a performance like he had on Tuesday night all but guarantees that head coach Jason Kidd will stick to the successful formula of Lively II starting and Gafford coming off the bench. Both Gafford and Lively II are playing well enough to start, but Lively II should be the winner of this battle for the starting center spot.