Dereck Lively II's viral post has Mavericks fans buzzing about his championship focus

The Dallas Mavericks took a huge step in the right direction on the night of the 2023 NBA Draft.

Just a few months before, the Mavs had missed the playoffs for the second time in the Luka Doncic era. They had to ace their No. 10 overall pick to get back on track, and that's exactly what they did.

Dallas made a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder to trade back to the No. 12 spot and they selected Dereck Lively II while shedding Davis Bertans' contract. Mark Cuban said that the Mavs needed a rim protector earlier that day, and that's exactly what the team got with Lively II.

Lively II averaged 1.4 blocks per game as a rookie, and he quickly became the team's defensive anchor. He showed that he was way beyond his years right away on the floor, but he was also incredibly mature off the floor.

Lively II's post with 2011 championship banner shows his real focus

Lively II lost his mother right before the playoffs last season, and he was still able to be one of Dallas' most important players down the stretch. His focus was on winning a title on the floor while going through this tough moment off the floor. His vision was clear, and that still stands today.

Recently, Lively II posted a photo on his Instagram story that shows exactly how locked in he is on winning the NBA Finals.

Lively II posted a photo of him at the Mavs practice facility, and Dallas' 2011 NBA Finals Championship banner was in the back. It was a subtle post, but it shows exactly where Lively II's focus lies on the floor.

This post got Mavs Twitter buzzing, as Lively II has been a fan favorite for his entire stint in Dallas. Mavs fans will never forget the 2011 title and Lively II seems locked in on bringing the Mavs their second title.

Dallas will be playing with their best roster of the Luka era next season, as they added Klay Thompson, Quentin Grimes, Spencer Dinwiddie, and Naji Marshall, and they are each going to be key pieces in what Dallas is going to do. Like Lively II, Thompson is also focused on winning the Finals, and the Mavs are going to have plenty of pieces to help them have an excellent season.

Lively II is going to help Thompson right away, as his passing out of the short roll is going to get Thompson get plenty of open looks from the corners. Lively II was elite in this area as a rookie, but that's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his game.

This is just the beginning for Lively II, and he is going to be key in Dallas winning a title one day. Him taking a big leap in year two would thrust the Mavs right back into championship contention. He was so key to what the Mavs did last season, and that won't change in the 2024-25 season.

It looks like Lively II is going to take the starting center spot from Daniel Gafford, and he is going to be in the perfect spot to fully evolve in Dallas' center of the future. He has already shown countless signs that he will be that and more, and the Mavs franchise is in good hands moving forward with Doncic and Lively II at the helm.