1 integral skill that can unlock Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II's full potential

Ahead of tonight’s game versus the Memphis Grizzlies, Dereck Lively II has proven himself worthy of being a starting-caliber center in Dallas throughout the first two games of the season.

Lively II has been hyper-efficient offensively, as his duties as a roll man and offensive rebounder for Dallas have led him to start the season 11-12 (91.2 percent) from the field.

Lively II still has the occasional rookie mistake or instance where he over-relies on his athleticism to make a play, but overall the rookie center out of Duke has looked much more polished than originally expected just two games into the season.

1 integral skill that can unlock Mavs rookie Dereck Lively II's full potential

Lively II has been putting the work in all summer, and during his pre-draft process, his agent Rich Paul made a point of emphasis to make Lively II showcase his corner three during Klutch Sports Pro Day.

Lively II’s 3-point shot is far from a proven commodity though, as he only made two 3-pointers in his whole season with Duke last year. However, Lively II has great shot mechanics for a player of his size and his shot is a lot more fluid compared to some 7-footers who have noticeable hitches within their shot.

Shooting efficiently at Lively II’s dimensions definitely takes a lot of work, and he hasn’t shot a ton of threes in his short time in Dallas even if we are counting Summer League and preseason into the equation. Lively II has yet to prove he can make a 3-point jump shot in a game for Dallas, but he’s still working behind the scenes at Mavs practice constantly to perfect his shot.

If anything, Lively II only looks more fluid from the base of his jump shot to the release, and fans should be excited once the 19-year-old rookie starts taking threes from outside. Lively II still has plenty of time before he hits his prime, so picture any of the current floor spacing and shot-blocking centers in the NBA as an effective comparison to what type of player Dallas may have in the future.

Indiana’s Myles Turner for instance is a great comparison for what Lively II can become if he keeps striving to diversify his offensive portfolio and keeps getting better at defending on the perimeter.

Things could move much quicker than anticipated with Lively II’s offensive development though, as he is fostering a great connection in the pick-and-roll with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving in Dallas already and looks fearless regardless of the matchup.

If he establishes continuity and consistency with either of them going forward, then it will be a sight to behold offensively if Lively II is able to consistently be a threat from outside on a nightly basis in the ensuing seasons to come.

We’ll have you covered with Dereck Lively II’s development and role on the Mavs going forward of course, but make sure to stay tuned to us as we’ll have full coverage of the Mavericks’ game versus the Memphis Grizzlies at 7:00 p.m. CT.