Dereck Lively says opposing teams are always watching one Dallas Mavericks player and it is helping him out

Anthony Davis draws attention, says Dereck Lively

Speaking following the preseason game against the Hornets, Dereck Lively says that being in the same lineup as Anthony Davis makes his life easier.

Lively referred to the attention Davis receives due to his star power, which creates openings for his teammates where he can try and distribute the ball.

He told a press conference: “He’s always drawing a lot of eyes, he has a name of being Anthony Davis, so you’re going to use that everyone’s going to be looking at him.

“I got to find the holes in the defense, or I got to find the ability to, you know, set it down screen for my man, like Klay, or get into another action with Coop.

“It’s just so many possibilities out there on the floor. It’s almost like a game of chess. I just got to find a way to checkmate.”

Anthony Davis adjusting to his favored role

Anthony Davis is set to play at the four this season with Lively taking the center position. This is the role Davis has clamored for, even complaining when he was on the Lakers.

Analyst John Hollinger recently warned that Davis could be a bad fit for the role, telling the Zach Lowe Show: “He’s just not that threatening a shooter, and people just don’t, aren’t worried about him from there.”

Davis was a -24 during his time on the court against the Hornets, scoring only 12 points, but not too much should be read into preseason.

Lively’s comments show how Davis helps the team simply with his presence on the court.