Dereck Lively II 2023 NBA Draft profile: Better shot blocker than Victor Wembanyama?

The Dallas Mavericks' biggest problem since winning the NBA Finals in 2011 has unarguably been not having a quality starting center.

They have had a few that were decent such as Tyson Chandler during his second stint with the Mavericks in the 2014-15 season and DeAndre Jordan for half of the 2018-19 season. But they haven't been able to find a starting big man that can anchor their defense and rebound at a high rate like Chandler did in both of his stints with the Mavericks.

Dereck Lively II 2023 NBA Draft profile: The Dallas Mavericks' big man of the future?

Mavericks GM Nico Harrison has already said that defense and rebounding are two of the team's biggest needs this offseason, but how will Dallas address these issues?

One way to do it is through the draft. They have a 79.8% chance to keep their pick, and they could be looking to draft a big man. One worth considering is Duke center Dereck Lively II.

The 7'1 big man averaged 5.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks in just 20.6 minutes per game in his freshman season at Duke. He is projected to get drafted in the middle to late part of the lottery and could be an option for the Mavericks if they decided to trade back.

Here's a look at Lively II's game and how he'd impact the Mavericks if they happened to take him.