THE The Dallas Mavericks made a bold move in the 2023 NBA Draft, trading up from 10th to 12th overall while shedding Davis Bertans’ contract and selecting Derek Lively II from Duke. After initially thinking he would have to spend time in the G-League to develop, he became an instant impact player for the Mavs.
His impact alongside Luka Doncic And Kyrie Irving He surprised a lot of people after disappointing in his lone season at Duke. As a former No. 1 overall pick, he had high expectations in college, but he’s fully living up to his potential in the NBA.
The Athletic They recently released their mock draft of the best NBA players aged 21 and under and Lively might have been ranked higher than you might have thought. Their goal was to create the best possible team that could compete for a championship in five years.
As expected, Victor Wembanyama and Paolo Banchero were the first players off the board, followed by Alperen Sengun and Brandon Miller. Dallas’ Dereck Lively II was selected fifth overall in the mock draft.
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Here’s what Will Guillory had to say about the pick: “For the record, Cooper Flagg would have been my pick if he were eligible this draft. However, Lively is a pretty decent consolation prize. The 7-foot-1, 230-pound center was a crucial part of a Mavericks team that won the Western Conference last season, and he doesn’t turn 21 until February. He has such size and athleticism at the position, and he’s already become a fantastic complement to Luka Doncic on offense as a lob threat and short-roll passer. Teams were openly talking about finding the next Lively this past draft.”
Lively ended up on a hypothetical team with Banchero, Jonathan Kuminga, Scoot Henderson, Josh Giddey, Jeremy Sochan, Shaedon Sharpe and Zach Edey. That team features a lot of front-row players, but Lively stands out as one of the best of them.
In his rookie season, Lively averaged 8.8 points per game, 6.9 rebounds per game, and 1.4 assists per game while helping the Mavericks reach the NBA Finals. He also showcased his ability as a short passer and showed his future as a three-point shooter in the NBA Finals. His defensive versatility allows him to move around the perimeter and hold up. He is a terror on both ends of the floor around the basket. Dallas fans should be excited about his potential.
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