Dereck Lively has had a very interesting season. He came in as a top recruit that was seen generally to be a likely top-ten pick, but since then he has really fallen from grace. He just hasn’t been used in Duke’s system nearly to the degree people thought he would be. He isn’t given the ball on offense due to some poor roster construction and lack of assertiveness. He just doesn’t get shot opportunities unless he gets the rebound and has a putback or is thrown the occasional lob. Despite this dilemma, he’s found himself in, many remain hopeful as there have been times when you see a glimmer of a tantalizing interior target and dominant shot blocker. His inside defense is at the top of the draft class. He uses his long arms to swat any shot in sight. His control and timing for blocking are very mature compared to the rest of his game. He waits patiently and is good at reading the arc of shots. Once he deters an attempt he quickly regroups himself to get right into action and go for possession of the ball. Dereck is the clear anchor for Duke’s defense. They have him hovering around the paint waiting for someone to come up at the rim with him. You would think this would leave him exposed to handoffs and pick-and-roll action but he’s intelligent when it comes to surveying his surroundings and reading what the opposing team is trying to do. Even when he does occasionally bite the trap and goes up for the contest, he’s good at getting back up like a pogo stick to get his hand up by the ball. He has a high level of court awareness and is super open to switching assignments. He can guard across the floor because even when he is beaten by smaller players, he can recover with his long wingspan. He recognizes when someone else’s man is shooting and will come in as a second deterrent. Having a versatile roaming big is key to having an effective one-time defense and I see teams really buying into Dereck. Offensively it’s been a bit rough. He was seen as a long post presence with some potential to space going into this year but has just been a watered-down version of that. He has physical prowess over everyone right now. His range when it comes to catching passes is insane and he can just catch and yam anything thrown at him. He has great hands that don’t drop for turnovers very often. Even if you sling the ball at him he’ll be able to slow things down to allow himself to work. As I stated earlier, he’s a pogo stick that can get up to catch anything above the rim. His length and feel for plays like this is elite. The issues with him are inconsistency, opportunity, and physicality. Lively is pretty thin and has been labeled as a softer player. Despite being very efficient, he isn't very assertive when it comes to just overpowering people at the rim so Duke has had a hard time incorporating him into the offense. He works best as a physical threat rather than a super smooth silky player that's going to post people up. I don’t think it’s mental incapability but actually a frame issue. He needs to add a bit of bulk if he wants to bully on offense, especially at the next level. He works well when rolling to the rim or cutting in an open lane so he could take a real immediate jump if placed on a better playmaking team with spacing. Dereck is an underrated passer that’s been a post hub at times for Duke. He likes to distribute the ball out to open shooters or cutters before relocating himself to give room. He has been a prolific rebounder that’s one of the best when it comes to giving his team second-chance scores. He uses his lankiness and puts in the effort to jump up for boards. His numbers off of the offensive and defensive glass have been insane. If Dereck is put in the right situation, we can possibly see a return on what formerly was a high-level draft stock. He is going to be an instant impact on defense and with a little bit of tweaking offensively, he could become the prototypical ideal modern center that teams really covet.

The 7-foot Dereck Lively is an extremely intriguing prospect. He's big but with good mobility. His athleticism is great and he's got solid bounce. He's a great defender, often blocking shots. He's quick and agile which especially helps his defense. He's developing well and his jumper is starting to look really good for a guy his size. He's a solid passer with good vision. He will likely need to bulk up a little and put on some strength. However, his frame allows him to do this while still being a great athlete and keeping his quickness. He started off the season disappointingly but picked it up big time and his stock rose. His rim protection is elite and near the top of the class. He should be a difference maker on the defensive end for whichever team drafts him. His playmaking has improved throughout the year and he has upside there for a big. His offensive consistency is a WIP. He does sometimes foul unnecessarily.

Tony Bradley-type. Huge wingspan with good IQ allows him to contest and block a ton of shots at the rim. Uses enough burst and athleticism to quickly get off his feet for blocks or dunks. Mobile enough to be able to keep up with most offenses in transition. Has shown flashes of short-roll playmaking ability. Has some low-post scoring ability and shooting ability from three, but needs to improve in those areas. Will mostly be used as a screen-and-roll/anchor big at the next level.

Elite shot blocker Length will jump Great in DRop coverage, showed an ability to hedge cannot shoot over him lob threat,catches anything around the rim Will finish with dunks, not soft good quick decision maker, finds teammates after rebounds Among the top proepcts from 2015-2023 in DBPM above zion, bamba,mobley,hayes,okongwu if he's not dunking the finishing touch is not great 1.6 A/TO ratio wihch is great for a big but could be b/c he does not have the ball much Extremely low usage rate shot a lot in aau do you belive in the shot 1-8 from far 2, 60% FT, 2-13 from 3 2022 5 Star Number 3 on 247 Number 1 on ESPN