This Dereck Lively II tweak will make the Mavericks unstoppable

It's time for the Dallas Mavericks to let Dereck Lively II shoot threes.

This has been a major talking point from Mavericks fans ever since the summer of 2023, when he shot the lights out during his Klutch Sports Pro Day ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft, but Dallas has never fully given him the green light to let it fly during games. He has been primarily a rim runner who occasionally scores out of the post, but it's time for him to spread his wings and expand his game as he enters his third season.

Mavericks fans were ecstatic when Lively II drilled the first 3-pointer of his NBA career in Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals, but since then, he hasn't made a three. This open look from the right corner looked so smooth that Mavs fans wanted him to shoot open threes more often, and Jason Kidd allowing him to make this change this season could be what makes the Mavericks unstoppable.

Dereck Lively II's jumper could transform Dallas one day

Earlier this offseason, Mark Cuban teased Lively II shooting multiple threes per game, and this could be exactly what the Mavericks need to fix the spacing issues that plagued the end of last season. This doesn't mean that Lively II will immediately become a floor spacer, as there is seemingly always chatter that he's going to start shooting 3-pointers, but this year needs to be different.

With Lively II likely playing a high percentage of his minutes alongside Anthony Davis, both of them being able to space the floor would be ideal. Lively II won't turn into a knockdown shooter immediately, as he hasn't even made a 3-pointer in a regular-season game yet, but at least letting him shoot them would be a step in the right direction.

Lively II could occasionally spot up rather than always playing in the dunker's spot, and this would help open up the floor for Anthony Davis significantly. Davis is at his best when he can take over the game by dominating down low and with his face-up game, and Lively II being able to pull his defender out of the paint would make things much easier for him.

Lively II becoming a capable shooter would allow the Mavericks to experiment with different five-out lineups, and his offensive game would immediately become much more advanced. He has made it clear time and time again that he's open to shooting threes and that he'd like to, and at least trying it out is worth a shot.

If the experiment fails, and he struggles significantly as a shooter, he could easily transition back to his former role of strictly being a rim roller and lob threat. He has already proven that he can thrive in that role, and he can still be a high-level big without shooting threes.

But if he can make threes, it would change everything for the Mavericks' offense.

He'd have the potential to develop into one of the best centers in the Western Conference, and he'd be much easier to build around. His value would skyrocket, as his offensive game would no longer be one-dimensional, and Kidd could use him in a variety of ways.

Lively II turning into a reliable option from downtown won't happen overnight, but at least sprinkling in these looks will help determine if he is ready for this jump or if him becoming an effective shooter is out of his reach. His only three of his career came when he was spotting from the corner in the biggest game of his life, and if he looked that comfortable in that moment, he'll be ready to roll in varied regular-season matchups.