The big center Dereck Lively II, who played the 2022 college basketball season for Duke University's basketball team, is a dominant force on the court. Lively was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in February 2004. The game of basketball was most probably introduced to him at a very early age given that his mother was a former Penn State Basketball player back in her college days. Even though both of parents stand more than 6 feet 6 inches tall, Dereck has reached the height of 7 feet 1 inch.
Dereck is not just a big physical player, but he has a big personality on the court as well. Most of his excellent basketball work is done on the defensive end of the floor where he showcases his tremendous rim protection abilities. Interestingly, Lively only averaged about twenty minutes per game but even then he averaged more than 2 blocks per game. Overall he has a great feel for how to play defense as is visible with his timing of the jump as well as his amazing read of the pick and roll game.
As for his offense, at this point Lively’s game is quite limited. He has a difficult time when it comes to layups or short jump shots which is bewildering given his size. What he is good at is dunking the ball and that is the shot he is typically seen to take. His length and agility makes it easy for his teammates to just lob the ball to him and watch him work his magic near the rim.
What is Dereck Lively II’s Wingspan?
Standing at 7 foot 1 inch in height it wouldn’t be a surprise to know that Lively II has a similar wingspan. What is surprising, however, is the fact that his wingspan is a good 6 inches more than his length, meaning he has a 7 foot 7 inch wingspan. Put everything together and his reach extends to 9 feet 4 inches which is just incredible.
The best part about Lively’s game is that he makes every use of his length, wingspan and reach on the basketball court, especially while playing defense. And to add to these massive attributes, Lively has great agility to compliment them. Thus, what you get to see from him on defense are a lot of shot blocks and swats. An ideal rim protector to have on a team, but his all round defense can extend to the 3 point line as well. Outside the paint, when he gets his hands up in the face of opponents, he forces the shots to land elsewhere from the bucket.
FAQs
A. As Dereck Lively stands at a huge 7 feet 1 inches, and has an enormous wingspan of 7 feet 7 inches, his total reach is a staggering 9 feet 4 inches.
A. If a team is looking to bolster their defense then Dereck Lively could be the ideal candidate for them. He is probably considered the best shot blocker and one of the best rim protecting prospects in this year’s NBA Draft.
A. In general, the basketball program is considered to be one of the best at Duke throughout the US. Excellence on the court and off the court with academics makes it a prestigious university for students to attend.
