The rookie big man has been an absolute sensation in these playoffs, helping the Mavericks win the first three games of the Western Conference Finals. Just how good has he been?
Despite an unfortunate injury for Dereck Lively II in which Karl Towns accidentally kneed him in the back of the head, the Mavericks rookie center still made his impact before his night was cut short in Game 3.
Despite the loss of the rookie, the Mavericks' Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving took over at the end of the game, and Lively II's minutes were replaced admirably by center Daniel Gafford, Dallas' midseason acquisition from the Washington Wizards. Before going down on Sunday night, he had, over the previous three games, put up plus/minus numbers of +19, +26, and +22, all of which were wins for the Mavericks. He's put up one of the best-ever plus-minus averages for a rookie in the history of the NBA so far this year, behind just Manu Ginobili of the Spurs in his first season.
He's having as impressive a season for a first-year big as nearly any before on the defensive end, drawing comparisons to the impacts made by legends like Tim Duncan and David Robinson in their rookie seasons.
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