After an extremely disappointing 2022-2023 campaign, the Dallas Mavericks they are looking to strengthen themselves for the next season and that is why they have chosen this Thursday, June 22 Derek Lively with the pick 12 of the First Round of the Draftafter dropping a few spots in the lineup after being traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Who is Dereck Lively and how can he help the Mavericks next season? Below, all the details about his profile, virtues, flaws and stats.
Derek Lively’s profile
| pos. | Age | Height | Country | Equipment |
| Inside | 19 | 2.16m | USA | Duke (NCAA) |
Derek Lively Stats 2022-2023
| Min. | degrees. | Reb. | So. | Puncture. | ro. | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
| 20.6 | 5.2 | 5.4 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 66% | fifteen% | 60% |
Dereck Lively’s virtues and strengths
Elite tools. The first virtue that stands out about Lively is his physical conditions, with enormous height, long arms and very good athletic ability. Physically you have to gain weight, but apart from that, you have ideal physical tools.
Definitive over the hoop. Offensively, he uses those qualities to finish with great efficiency near the basket: he shot 66% from the field at Duke, including a spectacular 90% on steals or drops after pick-and-rolls. easy target for alley-oops. He added offensive rebounds and ran the court very well in transition.
Color protector. Beyond what he does on offense, it’s on defense where Lively projects as a potential impact player. Outside of Wembanyama, he is the best rim protector in this class: 4.4 blocks per 36 minutes. He allowed just 33% of the field on individual defensive drives and has the versatility to get out and score outside the perimeter, where his arm range is a major plus.
Flashes of talent with the ball. Lively is purely a role player right now, but he has some flashes of extra quality: he hit 13 3-pointers in his first season at Duke (though he scored just two) and had more than interesting assists against him. losses (37 to 23). In pre-draft preparation, there are reports that he showed an improved outside shot.
Derek Lively Flaws and Weaknesses
Technical limitations. From a technical level, Lively offers little to nothing, to the point where he had the worst production of any interior in the Draft when it came to creating his own shots. He shot 29% from the field from the low post and 25% in any one-on-one action. Without a good touch to finish, when he can’t set comfortably against the rim. He shot 60% free throws and had almost no mid-range attempts. He didn’t convert once all season through penetration.
Defensive immaturity. Defensively, they have two important areas to improve. He wasn’t a good defensive rebounder in his only NCAA year, and he had serious personal foul trouble that limited his minutes on the court (5.3 fouls per 40 minutes). Lively has great natural tools, but a lot mature in your game. You need to gain weight.
NBA comparison for Derek Lively
An apt comparison for Lively’s role in the NBA is his Mitchell Robinson, as an athletic five-pointer and block specialist, who basically stands out on offense as a finisher at the rim. A less favorable comparison would be Nerlens Noel.
