Basic
- Position: Center
- From: Philadelphia, PA
- Current team: Duke
- Height: 7-foot-1
- Weight: 230 pounds
- Wingspan: 7-foot-8
Stats
- 20.6 minutes per game in 2022-23, featuring in 34 total games (27 starts).
- Averaged 5.2 points on 65.8% shooting, with 5.4 boards, 1.1 assists and 2.4 blocks per game.
- Took 0.4 3-pointers per game, averaging 15.4% of makes.
- Shot 72.1% on all 2-point attempts.
- Got to the charity stripe 1.0 times per game, making 0.6 of attempts (60%.)
Strengths
- Lively is a fantastic pick-and-roll roller, he can finish with great efficiency off rolls and cuts, and he is a lob threat too with a 7-foot-8 wingspan that is easily capable of catching lobs above the basket. He’s quite athletic for a 7-foot-1, 230-pound guy, and he should’ve contributed to the offense more, but Duke hardly played any pick-and-roll, but that’ll be his primary scoring method in the NBA.
- While not showing much evidence of the 3-point shooting with 15% of makes in just 0.6 attempts per game, his touch near the rim and pure efficiency show he does have a touch and can develop the deep shot, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he develops into a spot-up shooter with more practice and reps.
- He can be a playmaker despite not having such a deep skill set, and he does do a good job finding guys open in the corners, and also cutters. While it needs developing, he could be used as a low-to-mid-post playmaker.
- Just like the current NBA loves, he’s a guy who can run the floor in transition and get ahead of the defense, even at his size and frame. He’s sure athletic, and has been a fantastic transition runner for Duke this season.
- Defensively, he’s of course a rim protector with a 7-foot-8 wingspan, but he can step out, blitz and even switch. The wingspan helps him recover on plays even when he gets beat on the dribble, and his 2.4 blocks a game shows he’s active on the defensive end, using his length to his advantage.
- He’s quite versatile too, could improve his awareness when switching but he’s good at helping as he can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time.
Weaknesses
- Some could say it was the offensive scheme he was in, but he just didn’t have enough of a say offensively. He shot 72.1% on all 2-point attempts, which is ridiculously efficient. But he only took 3.1 2’s a game, which could perhaps speak to his lack of leadership and self-confidence as he should’ve been earning more attempts per game. Some scouts have labeled him as a ‘gentle giant’.
- A lot of that comes with an inability to create his own looks, and most of the time he gives the ball up when he has the opportunity to. He’s usually the biggest, lengthiest guy on the floor, and if he’s not willing to create his own shot when he could be dominating in college, NBA teams will worry about what he can do in a very talented NBA league.
- He’s averaging only 3.3 defensive rebounds per game, and that creates doubt in scout’s minds. He was the tallest guy for Duke, and it’s pretty unacceptable that he could only grab 3.3 defensive rebounds per game. He has to do a better job boxing out defenders, and be more active on the defensive glass. Getting stronger is another way to do that.
- If you’re reading this as a Toronto Raptors fan, you will understand my next point. Lively’s defensive fundamentals aren’t up to scratch, and he finds himself out of position often, whether that be out on the perimeter or in the corner. He needs to do a better job knowing his role, and understanding that he is supposed to be dominant in both paints. Christian Koloko had the same issue when he played his first few NBA games, he had reps at the G-League where he *was* the most dominant guy, and understood his role. That’s Lively’s issue too.
- His effort was always questioned and will continue to be questioned. There was a lot of hype about Lively before the season. While I think his effort on the court has improved, he needs to continue it because the NBA may feel like a punch in the face at first.
Clips
The following are some video clips of Lively’s game!
Draft projection
Lively’s ridiculously long 7-foot-8 wingspan is instantly interesting to teams, but he has overall been a little disappointing considering all the hype about him before the season. Still, he is a legit pick-and-roll threat and that’s how he will score the majority of his points in the NBA, and there are signs of a potential 3-point shot. All that he’s really missing is more shot creation, defensive fundamentals and a bit more effort on the defensive glass. Lively will be a strong first-round selection and should be picked anywhere from 13-to-25.
