One of the most interesting tandems for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season is the frontcourt duo of Dereck Lively II and Anthony Davis of the Dallas Mavericks. Fans can’t wait to see Davis play power forward, while Lively serves as the team’s center for most of the season. Many expect them to be one of the more challenging frontcourt pairs, given their size and ability to protect the rim.
One issue they could encounter involves spacing. With two big men inside the paint, it clogs up their offense from inside, making it easier for defenses to predict what they’re doing. Fortunately for the Mavs, Davis is capable of setting in the perimeter and operating away from the basket. This opens up more room inside for Lively to serve as an offensive option.
The former Duke big man also revealed that most opposing teams tend to focus on Davis. This allows Lively to be the forgotten man on offense and open up new options for Dallas.
“He’s always drawing a lot of eyes, he has a name of being Anthony Davis, so you’re going to use that everyone’s going to be looking at him,” he said.
“I got to find the holes in the defense, or I got to find the ability to, you know, set it down screen for my man, like Klay, or get into another action with Coop. It’s just so many possibilities out there on the floor. It’s almost like a game of chess. I just got to find a way to checkmate.”
Davis is expected to be back to his natural position, but it could create a different dynamic with Lively.
Mavericks’ head coach had high praise for Cooper Flagg
One of the main focuses for the Mavericks this season is Cooper Flagg. The No. 1 pick of the 2025 draft is touted to be a future star, and he’s gradually shown that he has what it takes to be one. Over the weekend, Dallas played against the Charlotte Hornets, and Flagg was on the floor for 24 minutes.
During his time on the floor, the rookie forward had 11 points, three rebounds and four assists. Following his performance, head coach Jason Kidd had high praise for Flagg.
“He made plays for his teammates, was able to knock down shots, and defensively came up with some big plays,” Kidd said. “We want to look at him handling the ball, put him in different situations. I thought he made a lot of great reads tonight.”
The Mavs expect Flagg to be a major contributor to their success this season.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
