Ranking the 10 best center prospects in the 2023 NBA Draft
By Rowan Kent
Center #2: Dereck Lively II, Duke
For the first half of the season, it looked like Lively II might be one of the draft class’s biggest busts. He was slowly coming back from injury, wasn’t making a profound impact on either end of the floor, and was being overshadowed by great freshman performers like Brandon Miller and Keyonte George.
As the year wore on, however, Lively II got back to what made him a top high school recruit: blocking shots. He was a monster around the rim during ACC play, tallying three separate games where he had five blocks including a smothering eight-block smackdown against the rival North Carolina Tar Heels:
Dereck Lively II has really risen up my personal big board as of late. His game vs. UNC may end up as the most dominant rim protection display of this draft cycle pic.twitter.com/zKZHDWX3UW
— Wilko (@wilkomcv) February 22, 2023
There has been recent buzz that Lively II could be drafted as high as the late lottery and in some ways, that’s valid. He has a massive defensive ceiling, is still growing as an offensive weapon, and has a lot of room to grow as a center. In the right system, Lively II could develop at his own pace and take the league by surprise in a few short years.