4 Studs, 2 duds from Mavericks' narrow preseason loss to Grizzlies

3. Stud - Dereck Lively II

Dereck Lively II's development was one of the biggest storylines heading into the preseason, and he showed off his hard work against the Memphis Grizzlies. Lively II came off the bench, but his play was strong right after he checked in.

Lively II had two and-one layups in the first quarter alone, and his second of the two was the most impressive by far. He caught the ball on the opposite side of the floor, brought the ball up, and finished with an and-one layup after a spin move.

This was something that Mavs fans never got to see from Lively II last season, but he looked under control and comfortable as he drove to the rim. Don't get used to seeing Lively II handling the ball in space, but the smoothness of that finish and move should be seen as a positive for him.

Most of Lively II's offensive impact last season came as a rim roller, but his game could slowly evolve into more than that this season. Lively II focused on becoming a better paint scorer this summer, and his work in that area was illustrated in his performance on Monday.

As much as Mavs fans want Lively II to start shooting threes, it may not be happening as quickly as some expect. Lively II didn't shoot a three in this game, but everything else on offense looked strong.

His defense was strong as usual, as his length and presence in the paint must always be accounted for. We also got a brief look at Lively II's ability to switch out and guard when needed, and this was one of his biggest areas of improvement over the course of last season.

His second-year jump will be one of the more underrated factors for the Mavs' success, and he started strong on Monday. Lively II's 12 points in 14 minutes stuck out immediately in this game, and he remains one of the most important players to Dallas' success.