Bill Simmons Lauds Dereck Lively One Year After Criticizing Mavericks’ Tanking…
Bill Simmons recently praised Dereck Lively following the Dallas Mavericks’ series-clinching G
“Great job by Dallas, that was a monster comeback [especially] when it felt like they couldn’t get a call. Just a whiff better in these nail biters,” Simmons wrote on X. “Lively was unbelievable.”
This praise stands in stark contrast to Simmons’ harsh criticism of the Mavericks a year earlier. After the team deliberately lost their final two regular-season games to improve their chances of keeping a first-round pick, Simmons was vocal about his disapproval.
“It is realistic that they could have gotten the eight-seed, which goes back to my point that I’m gonna stay firm on that I really haven’t wavered on my entire life: if you have the chance to make the playoffs, make the f**king playoffs.
That’s just how I feel,” Simmons said at the time. “You’re never going to talk me into, ‘Oh, no no. They had a chance to get the No. 10 pick.’ Great.
“The No. 10 pick. I know it’s a nice pick. It’s fine. It’s not a guaranteed awesome guy. I just hate it. I don’t think you can do it when you have Luka [Doncic]. Honestly, Russillo, I thought it was one of the darker moments in recent league history. I thought it was disgusting.”
The Mavericks were fined $750,000 for their tanking strategy but successfully retained their pick, selecting Lively (via a trade with the Thunder). Lively has since become a significant contributor to the Mavericks’ run to the Western Conference Finals.
Simmons’ recent praise isn’t necessarily a contradiction. Disliking a team’s decision to tank while appreciating the resulting player are not mutually exclusive views.
The Mavericks’ decision to prioritize the draft pick over a playoff spot now seems validated by Lively’s pivotal role in their postseason success. Despite Simmons’ earlier condemnation, this moment has proven crucial for Dallas’ current achievements.
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