As another NBA season is winding down, the attention will quickly turn towards the 2023 NBA Draft which is set to take place on Friday, 23rd June. Dereck Lively II will be one player on the radar of a select few teams, especially those teams who are looking to add a tall center to their ranks. Born in 2004, Dereck has battled a lot of ups and downs to reach this stage. In 2011 when he was just seven years old, his father passed away due to an overdose of cocaine and heroin. Just a few years later, his mother was diagnosed with cancer and she has been fighting it for the past eight years. Dereck, however, has focused hard on his game and is now ready to take the next step.
Derek Lively II, who played just his freshman year at Duke in 2022-23, was deployed mostly as a defensive player. Standing 7 feet 1 inch tall, his height coupled with his enormous 7 foot 7 inches wingspan made life difficult for opponents while they tried to approach the basket.
On defense, he generally gets into good positions when opponents drive to the basket enabling him to register many blocks. Within a year of college basketball, he has improved his verticality tremendously. Switching from the handler to the roller comes quite naturally to him. Defending smaller but quicker guards tends to give many big men problems, yet, that is not the case with Lively II.
As for his game on the offense, Lively II usually gets into good positions underneath the basket where he gets easy dunks. Unfortunately, a little further from the basket and he tends to struggle. Not only his jump shooting, but also his layup percentage is poor. Especially for a player of his size, Dereck will have to improve tremendously in this part of his game if he is to make a larger impact in the NBA.
Dereck Lively II's NIL deal
The Name, Image, and Likeness deals are making waves across college sports. Athletes who are performing well are getting rewarded with some amazing deals even before they turn pro. It is not exactly clear how much the athletes are earning through various deals as the exact figures are not always revealed. Having said that, the On3 website shows Dereck Likely II’s NIL evaluation to be $120K. As per the information available, Dereck has signed a NIL deal with:
Lids and Klutch Sports Group (represents Dereck Lively II)
Topps trading card
Dreamworks Motorsports
Lids is an American athletic headwear retail chain that operates in several countries. They invited all the players with whom they signed NIL deals to create their own embroidery designs and to express their own styles. Dereck Lively II’s embroidery design inspiration came from the importance of family, the legacy of the family name and the drive to carry forward the family legacy.
Dereck Lively II’s Brand Endorsements
Till now there are no known brand endorsement deals linked with Dereck Lively II. But, at just nineteen years old and the NBA calling, it may not be long before this youngster gets brand endorsement deals to his name.
FAQs
A. Two freshman players from Duke have entered the 2023 NBA draft. They are 7 foot 1 inch center Dereck Lively II and 6 foot 7 inch forward Dariq Whitehead.
A. Derek Lively II, the big center from Duke who is defensively dominant, is expected to be selected somewhere in the middle of the first round according to analysts. Even though he fell short on the offensive side of the ball, his ability to protect the rim has increased his stock.
A. Dereck Lively II is a tall center who played one year for the Duke Blue Devils basketball team in college. He is 7 feet 1 inches tall and uses his height to great advantage, especially on defense.
