Duke center Dereck Lively II is an intriguing prospect available in the 2023 NBA Draft. In his lone college season, the big man offered elite rim protection but had a limited role offensively. Still, he has the potential to be a valuable defender and make an impact on the scoring and playmaking end in the league.
Dereck Lively II 2023 NBA Draft Profile
College Career
Before Duke, the Philadelphia native attended Westtown School and was a five-star recruit. Here, Lively helped lead his team to the Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association state championship in 2022, averaging 14 PPG, 14 RPG, and 4.5 BPG that season. He was also named the 2022 Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year, played in the McDonald’s All-American game, and was a first-team All-State honoree.
Being ESPN’s number one prospect for the class of 2022, Lively faced high expectations heading to Duke. However, he had an underwhelming season, posting 5.2 PPG on 65.8% shooting, 5.4 RPG, 1.1 APG, and 2.4 BPG. While the freshman was named the ACC preseason Rookie of the Year and was on the All ACC-Defensive and All-Freshman Team, multiple injuries limited his availability and impact. Although, his production eventually increased in the second half of the season. He was a defensive anchor for the team, while his primary source of scoring came from dunks.
Strengths
Lively’s greatest strength lies in his defense, particularly his rim protection. The seven-foot-one big man is an elite shot-blocker with excellent timing and instincts. With his seven-foot-seven wingspan, verticality, mobility, and athleticism, he effectively patrols the paint. He even ranked first in the NCAA in defensive plus-minus (6.8) and held a 12.7 BLK%. Lively also thrives as a weak-side help defender and is quick to react on close-outs. He is a decent perimeter defender, his length making it difficult to be shot over. He’s shown flashes of versatility as he can defend multiple positions, including guards. On top of that, he excels at defending pick and rolls, cutting off the handler and the roller, and breaking up the play.
Offensively, the 19-year-old excels as a catch-and-finisher. Most of his points come from dunks set up through dump-offs or lobs. He operates well out of pick-and-roll opportunities and can catch the ball wherever it’s thrown. He’s skilled at grabbing offensive boards, and he’ll either throw a putback dunk or pass it out. Here, he’s also shown some promise as a playmaker. He has solid court vision to find the open man, and he holds a stellar AST/TO ratio of 1.6.
Weaknesses
Most of Lively’s flaws are on the offensive end. He scored most of his points on dunks because he was inefficient with other post moves, especially layups or hook shots. When driving, he has trouble fighting through contact when challenged by a center. He lacks assertiveness and physicality in the paint. His jump shot is also inefficient, and Oftentimes he was left open in the perimeter and beyond the arc. This season, he only shot 15.4% from three and 60% at the foul line. While he isn’t much of a scoring threat outside of dunks, he has shown upside as a shooter. Also, adding strength and weight to his frame could help his subpar finishing and rebounding.
While he thrives in a defensive role, he commits too many fouls. Averaging 2.7 PF per game, Lively can be undisciplined at times. Most of his fouls were avoidable, and he needs to improve his hands and positioning when contesting shots. At times he’s also been known to fall for fakeouts.
NBA Player Comparison
Lively’s game is similar to Willie Cauley-Stein’s. In college, both produce little offensively but offer significant rim protection. They thrive on dunks and second-chance points, but their shooting is inconsistent. Both play a similar role defensively by locking down the paint and taking away pick-and-rolls. Although Stein was a better finisher, Lively is a more talented passer. He has also shown flashes of Jaxson Hayes and Tyson Chandler.
NBA Draft Projection
Mid-first-round pick.
