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

3 of 4

Dereck Lively II's weaknesses

Overall, Dereck Lively II is weak on the offensive end, and here are two of his biggest areas to improve observed from a breakdown of his film.

1. Shooting

Lively II can't shoot. Period.

He shot two of 13 from three last season for just 15.4 percent and was a 60 percent free throw shooter. His form is unconventional, and he likely won't be a threat as a shooter for multiple seasons unless something changes quickly.

Dereck Lively II has shooting upside in my opinion but the numbers suggests otherwise.

He shot 15.4% from three and 60.0% from free-throw line in college. For team final in AAU he shot 53.1% from the free-throw back in 2021. The year before that in 2020 in AAU he shot 2/11 from… pic.twitter.com/bOBsAYGahq
— Global Scouting (@GlobalScouting_) April 20, 2023

He just doesn't shoot often. Lively II only took 117 shots in 34 games, and most of those were at the rim. The 7'1 big man is efficient when he does shoot, as most of his buckets are dunks, but he isn't a reliable option besides being a rim runner.

2. Shot creation

Shot creation is something that most traditional bigs don't have, and Lively II is no different.

He can't create his own shot off the dribble or in the low post. The former Blue Devil is a lob threat or second-chance point guy at this point in his development. The pick and pop won't be an option for Dereck Lively II until he gains some confidence and touch from 15 feet and beyond.

Home/Draft