Dereck Lively II’s surprising evolution erases his biggest weakness for Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks beat the the Toronto Raptors on the road on Saturday night by a score of 125-118, and although this game was a little too close for comfort, Dallas continues to squeak out hard wins.

With the win, the Mavericks are the second seed in the Western Conference behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder and are on a seven-game winning streak.

They have also won their last 11 out of 12 games.

One of the main reasons that the Dallas Mavericks are the hottest team in the NBA is because of Jason Kidd making the decision to put Dereck Lively II into the starting lineup. When Lively II is the starting center this season the Mavericks have a record of 10-2.

Lively II's dedication to improving his free throws is obvious

This past offseason and throughout training camp, Lively II spent a lot of time working on his game with Dallas Mavericks assistant coach, Sean Sweeney, and also former Maverick, Tyson Chandler. Chandler has been a huge part of Lively II's development over the last year and a half, and they are often seen together during Mavs practice or before games.

In the 2023-24 season, Lively II shot 50.6 percent from the free throw line on 1.5 attempts per game. This season he's currently shooting 62.7 percent on 2.7 attempts per game, and the emphasis on improving this part of his game is obvious. He is always seen working on free throws during his pregame workout and after practice, and his hard work in this area is paying off.

12.1 percentage points of improvement was definitely huge over just one year, and while there is still plenty of room for improvement, he is taking a step in the right direction to conquer this former hole in his game.

In the win against the Raptors on Saturday night, Lively II made five out of six free throws.

In Game 3 of the Western Conference semi-finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder pulled a Hack-a-Shaq on Lively II thinking he would miss many attempts, but he ended up shooting 8-12 from the line. For Mavericks fans, that was the true first sign Lively II would be able to improve his form and shot.

With Lively II slowly beginning to create shots for himself around the rim and create more opportunities for himself this season, it'll be crucial for him to continue to improve his percentage at the free-throw line due to getting fouled more often.

Lively II has one of the more unique forms in the NBA, which is mostly known for being one of, if not the only player in the whole that doesn't take a single dribble in their free-throw routine.

This season Lively II is averaging 9.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 69.4 percent from the field.

The Mavericks will face the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night and Lively II will have a very tough matchup against Isaiah Hartenstein. If Lively II wants the coaching staff to trust him to close out games, he will have to continue to shoot well from the line.

For more news, updates, and stats on Dereck Lively II and the Dallas Mavericks this season, stay tuned.