2023 NBA Draft Live Tracker: Grading every pick made
2023 NBA Draft grade: No. 12 pick Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks
Dereck Lively II. 12. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. C. 79. Duke
Grade: C+
Obvious fit here for Dallas. Dereck Lively II stands tall above the competition, listed at 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan. He’s the best rim protector left in the board, showcasing remarkable capacity for growth over the course of his freshman season at Duke.
His plus instincts suggest the potential for Lively to contribute as a rookie. The Mavs struggled to keep teams out of the paint last season; Lively will provide an immediate rim deterrent for Jason Kidd and the Mavs.
He doesn’t provide much offensively outside the paint, but Lively is a bouncy above-the-rim finisher who can feast on lobs from Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. He’s also a better passer than most mega-athlete 7-footers.
From our NBA Draft Big Board:
"Dereck Lively II is next in a long line of physically imposing centers from Duke. He’s 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-7 wingspan, nimble feet, and impressive defensive instincts. He projects as possibly the best rim protector in the draft behind Wembanyama. He will catch lobs, inhale rebounds, and put his 230-pound frame to good use on the block. After struggling out of the gates, he improved at a remarkable rate over the second half of the season. His rapid growth in terms of defensive awareness and consistency should have NBA teams convinced of his trajectory long-term."