Duke's Dereck Lively II Declares for 2023 NBA Draft; Ranked No. 21 on B/R's Big Board

Duke freshman center Dereck Lively II announced his intention to enter his name in the 2023 NBA draft on Tuesday:

The 7'1" big man averaged 5.2 points on 65.8 percent shooting to go with 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 20.6 minutes per game for the ACC tournament champion Blue Devils.

Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report ranks Lively 21st overall on his latest draft big board.

Lively had a limited impact offensively for Duke, but he was tremendous defensively. As Wasserman noted, his game could absolutely play well in the pros, especially with some defense-first centers finding success in the NBA.

"Dramatic improvements to Lively's defensive reads have helped revive interest in the 7-footer who's been mostly a one-dimensional finisher offensively. His archetype could still be highly valued, as evidenced by centers like Mitchell Robinson, Robert Williams and former Duke anchor Mark Williams. Maybe Lively eventually adds the three-ball that he occasionally showcased in high school, but in the short term, he'll earn NBA minutes with his rim protection, pick-and-roll defense and foot speed when switched out to the perimeter. He'll enter the draft with an outstanding 12.7 block percentage and opponents having shot just 39.5 percent against him at the basket."

Plus, Lively isn't a finished product by any means after just one collegiate season. He won't turn 20 years old until next February and has plenty of time to develop his game.

It was also encouraging to see Lively excel down the stretch. He averaged 11.5 rebounds per game in Duke's two NCAA tournament tilts. Other highlights included an eight-block outing against UNC in February and 13-point games against Virginia Tech and Pitt.

Lively, who is No. 21 on NBA Mock Draft Database's consensus big board, should ultimately find himself selected in the first round. This year's draft will go down June 22 at Brooklyn, New York's Barclays Center.