2023 NBA Mock Draft 9.0: Kobe Bufkin, Bilal Coulibaly and Dereck Lively are rising with one week left https://t.co/FLyOgspgzh via @forthewin

— LakerTom (@LakerTom) June 16, 2023

#17
Los Angeles Lakers: Dereck Lively II

Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Duke Blue Devils, Freshman, 7-foot-1 center

FROM: Philadelphia

DRAFT AGE: 19.4

After a tough start to his collegiate career, Duke big man Dereck Lively eventually blossomed into a highly impactful player on the defensive end of the floor.

“I’m somebody who is going to chip away at the rock every single day, trying to get one percent better every day and try to make sure you’re sharpening something whether it’s dribble or shooting or finishing or your touch shot,” Lively told For The Win. “No matter what it is, you have to get a little bit better.”

The Athletic senior writer Sam Vecenie reported that few players “have had a stronger pre-draft process” than Lively. According to Bleacher Report lead scout Jonathan Wasserman, teams “may need to trade” for a higher pick in the draft if they want to select Lively.

Opponents were just 14-for-38 (36.8 percent) when he defended them in the restricted area of the paint, per Stats Perform. Meanwhile, via CBB Analytics, the other team was held to shoot just 29.8 percent in the paint during minutes when Lively was on the floor.

“I’m always somebody that you’re going to hear on the floor, no matter if that’s on offense or defense,” Lively added. “I still have to be the kind of radio tower. Everybody sees me. Everybody can hear me. But I can see everything. I have to be able to navigate everybody on the court.”

Lively does the little things very well, too, which makes him valuable.

Lively set 0.21 ball screens per touch, per Stats Perform, which was the most among all projected first-round draft picks. The big man set 0.10 handoffs per touch and 0.16 off-ball screens per offensive chance, and both rates ranked as the second-most among projected first-rounders.

“I’m just trying to go out there and be the most coachable player and try to be the best teammate and be able to be the best player on the court,” Lively said. “No matter if that’s me diving out of bounds or diving on the floor to save a ball or making an extra pass or making an extra rebound or doing whatever it takes to win.”

MORE: Meet NBA draft prospect Dereck Lively, the big man from Duke who is going to dominate on defense

Title #17

From the HOUSE OF Lakers and house of slytherin.

#17 tonight!! Let’s go Lakeshow!!