Ranking 5 Mavericks burning questions by how quickly we want them answered

4. Will Dereck Lively II be the long-term starter at center?

Dereck Lively II had an impressive rookie season last season by averaging 8.8 points per game and was a defensive anchor for the Mavericks by averaging 1.4 blocks per game. Lively II followed up his good rookie season by playing incredibly well in the 2024 playoffs.

Lively II averaged 7.9 points per game and still averaged one block per game in the 2024 playoffs. Lively II's ability to grab rebounds and play tight defense made him a huge part of the Mavericks' intense defensive presence.

The potential for Lively II to be the everyday starter at center is there, but Daniel Gafford is a tough player to not put in the starting rotation at center.

Gafford averaged more points than Lively II in the regular season and playoffs last season. Gafford is also a quality veteran player and Lively II could still not be ready yet to start in his second year in the NBA.

Maverick fans have been wanting to see Lively II get the starting nod at the center position from Jason Kidd for a while, and Kidd got Lively II playing time at the center position as a starter in the preseason.

One thing that helped Lively II is having a good preseason. Lively II finished the preseason with a 76 percent field goal percentage and had three consecutive games with two blocks or more. Lively II's strong preseason showed that he had no drop-off from last season to this preseason.