The Dallas Mavericks completed a regular-season sweep of the San Antonio Spurs for just the second time in franchise history with a 113-107 win on Tuesday night. It was an ugly game against a lottery-bound team, but at this point in the year, the Mavs will take any kind of win they can get.
Spurs rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama, who was the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft, has been incredible in his first season. The Rookie of the Year candidate is averaging 20.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.5 blocks and 1.3 steals. But on Tuesday, the Mavs forced the 7-4 big man into an off game, as he finished with just 12 points on 3-13 shooting from the field in 32 minutes.
Although Wembanyama has received most of the hype this season, Mavs rookie center Dereck Lively II, who was the No. 12 pick in last year’s draft, has proven that he can hold his own against the 7-4 Frenchman. Lively finished with 12 points, five rebounds and one block while shooting 5-7 from the field in half the amount of floor time Wembanyama had on Tuesday.
In 50 games, Lively is averaging 9.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks while shooting 75.3 percent from the field — and now, he has a 3-0 head-to-head record against Wembanyama. Obviously, being teammates with future Hall-of-Fame guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving helps Lively a lot, but his constant high energy and high basketball IQ has also helped him have more of an impact on winning in his rookie season than Wembanyama has for the Spurs.
When it comes to being a player to lead a franchise, Wembanyama has the physical tools to accomplish that feat as his career progresses. But Lively will have more early-season success in the win column, as he's shown he's capable of being an elite role player alongside two superstar guards. Pair that with Lively sharing his center minutes with fifth-year big man Daniel Gafford, and the sky is the limit for the Mavs with the postseason right around the corner ... and that's something that can't be said for the Spurs this season.
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