During a recent episode of First Take, host Stephen A. Smith and former NFL player Shannon Sharpe previewed game 1 of the NBA Finals, scheduled for Friday, June 7th. While discussing the Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks Finals, Sharpe praised Derek Lively II, the power forward for the Dallas Mavericks, and stated that Lively would be the biggest X-factor in the NBA Finals.
“I wanted to go because that is exactly who I had, but they told me I wouldn’t pick both of those guys. I said the two big from Dallas because of exactly what legs said. I went with Dereck Lively. I would have gone with two bigs, but I had to pick one.” Sharpe said.
Sharpe further praised Lively and mentioned that he is good at his position when he plays. He also noted that Lively dominated the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves and complimented his Plus-Minus.
“The Mavericks are very Lively When Lively is playing. He is very bouncy. With those lobs, he defends the rim. He was perfect from the floor in the series, 16-16 in five games against Minnesota. Look at his Plus-Minus when he is in the game as opposed to when he is not.” Sharpe added.
“He is a Very Important Piece”
Sharpe also pointed out the height advantage of Levely, emphasizing the importance of Lively playing a big role in the NBA finals. He also pointed out that the Boston Celtics would bring more action to the finals.
“He is a very important piece. He needs to play big, but you are absolutely all right. Those two bigs, because they are a high percentage of guys, do a great job of protecting the paint. Boston is going to put you in a lot of action, a lot of pick and roll.” Sharpe continued.
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Recently, Lively praised the head coach, Jason Kidd, for his amazing mentorship during the season. He mentioned that Kidd was the best coach he had ever seen in his career.
