NBA commissioner Adam Silver appeared in front of the press before the NBA Finals game 1 between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. Among other things discussed in the press meet, Silver also touched on the controversial tanking incident from last season involving the Mavs.
“In terms of what Dallas did last year, we sanctioned them. We did what we thought was appropriate at the time,” Silver told the media when asked about how the Mavericks’ tanking deprived the Knicks of a draft pick.
At the end of the regular season, the Mavs tanked a loss against the Bulls in April. With the loss, the Dallas side’s hopes of making it to the postseason were vanquished as they finished 11th in the Western Conference table with a 38-44 record.
Later, when an investigation was opened, the Mavs were fined $750,000 for “violating the league’s player resting policy” and “demonstrating a desire to lose the game.”
Despite the fine, the Mavs got what they wished for as their top-10 draft pick was protected due to lottery odds, which otherwise would’ve fallen to the Knicks. Thanks to that, they traded their number 10 pick with the OKC Thunder to acquire their draft pick no.12, Dereck Lively II.
Mavericks Tanking Paid Off by Securing Dereck Lively II
The Mavs snapped up Dereck Lively II from OKC last summer, and the move has paid dividends. Lively has been an integral part of the Mavs’ setup this season and solves the franchise’s headache for a future Center.
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In the 55 games he played, Lively scored 8.8 points per game from 74.7% shooting, 6.9 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. He continued his form in the postseason and became a dunk machine for the Mavs by latching onto quarterback-esque passes from Luka Doncic in smooth transitions.
The rookie has been an outstanding team player for the franchise, earning praise from Doncic and Irving for his resilient showings after his mom’s demise. Though the Mavs fell short on Thursday against the Celtics in the opening games of the NBA Finals, they have enough games in hand to turn the tide.
Whether the Mavs can coast home with the Larry O’Brien trophy is there to see, but if they do, the 4D chess played by the Dallas team to acquire Dereck Lively II can be one to remember for ages.
Also Read: “We Were Having Fun”- Luka Doncic’s Perspective on Mavericks’ Third Quarter Surge vs the Celtics
