At Dallas Mavericks Media Day on Monday, Daniel Gafford was asked which of his teammates would have a "breakout" season this year, and he went with Dereck Lively II. Gafford and Lively II have been holding down the center spot in Dallas for the last year and a half, including the team's run to the 2024 NBA Finals, and if Lively II can have a monster year like Gafford predicted, the Mavs will be in great shape.
Lively II has been even better than the Mavericks could've dreamed over his first two seasons in the NBA, as he has averaged 8.