Mar 4, 2023; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils center Dereck Lively II (1) and guard Jeremy Roach (3) react after winning the game at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Dereck Lively II is now projected to be a lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, according to ESPN.
The World Wide Leader’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo released an updated mock
on Wednesday morning. Their latest projection has Lively going No. 14 overall to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Lively was all the way down at No. 25 overall in ESPN’s previous mock.
Here’s some analysis on Lively’s draft stock from Givony:
Lively is another player who generated significant buzz at the Klutch pro day, appearing to be in outstanding shape physically, shooting the ball exceptionally well from the perimeter and bringing a degree of intensity and aggressiveness we didn’t always see in his lone season at Duke. He’ll have to validate that in private workouts, but the dearth of big men in this class gives him the ability to be a riser on draft night, especially as teams consider the fact that he was the No. 1 recruit in his high school class entering the season. He seems to have plenty of upside left to tap into as his frame continues to fill out.
Lively had an up-and-down freshman season in Durham, but his defensive skills and impressive frame have made him a surefire first-round pick.
He has a still-developing offensive game, but has shown flashes of being able to shoot 3-pointers in workouts this offseason. Here are some highlights from his recent pro day:
The 2023 NBA Draft will be held on June 22.
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