Mavs EXCLUSIVE: OMax Prosper, Dereck Lively II Ready to 'Create Something Special in Dallas'

Between Luka Doncic looking like the best version of himself, Kyrie Irving returning, and the front office adding a lot of versatile depth to the roster, the Dallas Mavericks have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season.

Part of that versatile roster depth will come from the two rookies the Mavs picked up in the first round of this year’s draft in Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Dereck Lively II. Although both players have areas of their games they can work on, being physical and having a high motor is a good way to earn minutes in head coach Jason Kidd’s rotation from Day 1 … and they have both of those attributes.

"I do feel like I'm ready," Prosper tells DallasBasketball.com when talking about the physical aspect of the NBA. "Especially spending three years in college, it prepared me a lot for that. Being more experienced through that over your typical one-and-done [prospect]."

It takes time for a lot of young prospects to become physically ready for the NBA, even if they have natural talent. That’s not the case with Prosper, though, as the 21-year-old forward is 6-8, 230 pounds and has a more filled-out build than your typical rookie. That build is what should help him make an immediate impact on the defensive end of the floor.

"I'm a guy that's really gonna take pride in playing defense,” Prosper said. “Like you said, you come into this league, you play on a team with Luka [Doncic] and Kyrie [Irving], you're not gonna have the ball most of the time. So how can you come in and be a guy that can earn minutes on the defensive end?

“Once you're on the floor, then that opens up everything else offensively. You've gotta find your niche and where you can build minutes, get in the rotation and build yourself up from there. That's my mindset going into [my rookie season]."

Lively might not have the same muscle mass Prosper has yet, but at 7-1 with a 7-7 wingspan, the 19-year-old big man does possess elite length and defensive instincts that should help him get on the floor as a rookie, whether he ends up being the Mavs’ starting center or not.

"I think I fit in very well,” Lively tells DallasBasketball.com. “My focus is getting the ball-handlers and our scorers open. Doing that is gonna make my job easier, being able to offensive rebound, to score, and I'm also trying to set picks as best as I can to get ball-handlers open."

Although being the Mavs’ starting center is a major goal that’s “circled” on Lively’s board, he admits that he hasn’t earned that right yet. With training camp right around the corner, and former Mavs champion Tyson Chandler taking him under his wing, Lively is eager and excited to start his NBA journey by doing the ‘dirty work’ for Dallas.

"I'm excited for it,” Lively said of his upcoming rookie season. “I think I'm going to be able to fit this mold on this team very well. I'm gonna do the dirty work on both ends of the floor, and I'm backing everybody up every step of the way.

“If that's somebody getting blown by, I'm covering their man, I'm telling somebody to get mine. If somebody doesn't know what play that's going on, I'm directing the play and making sure they know going on.”

Although the Mavs could’ve gone many other directions when they came into this year’s draft with just the No. 10 pick, they went after Lively and Prosper, and Prosper believes that was the right choice.

"I think they made the right decision first of all because of the way we play this game. Me and Dereck Lively, we play with a lot of energy, with a lot of effort. We leave everything on the floor,” Prosper said.

“Looking at this team, I feel like that's something, especially on the defensive end, was missing this past year – guys that would come in and were ready to do what it took to get stops and to help and compliment the star players."

Not only are Prosper and Lively looking to make an immediate impact for the Mavs on the court, but they’re also planning to ‘build the culture’ and provide a positive locker room presence en route to ‘creating something special in Dallas.’

"Me and Dereck are very energetic guys. We're gonna talk a lot in the locker room, we're gonna build the culture up, we're gonna laugh ... we're just gonna grow and help this team and compliment the stars as much as we can overall,” Prosper said.

“[Dereck and I] have great length, great size. We're students of this game, and I fell like, overall, as we continue to grow each and every year, it's not just for this year, it's for longterm down the line, I think we're gonna be able to create something special here in Dallas. I think we're two additions this team definitely needed."

You never know for sure how successful draft picks are going to be until they get on the floor in real NBA games. But, from what we’ve seen this summer, and from what both Lively and Prosper have told us, the Mavs are likely going to be happy with their 2023 first-round picks for many years to come.

Follow Dalton Trigg on Twitter. SUBSCRIBE to Mavs Step Back on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Dallas Mavericks? Click Here. Follow DallasBasketball.com on Twitter and Facebook.

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