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As His Draft Odds Improve, Golden State Brings Dereck Lively In For A Look

Will they like what they see?

By JD King
/ new
2023 NBA Draft Combine
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 17: Dereck Lively II speaks with the media during the NBA Draft Combine at the Wintrust Arena on May 17, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.
Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images

Things have gotten really interesting for Dereck Lively and his draft prospects.

As he’s made the rounds, Lively has made an impression first for his defense and rim protection, but also for his mobility and, perhaps surprisingly for some people, his shooting.

As Lively himself said, the best way he could help Duke was on defense and that was fine with him (if we’re an NBA team, we’re listening when he talks about his willingness to accept a role. Any professional athlete should be able to do that but a lot of guys can’t or won’t).

Now it looks like he could go anywhere from a late lottery pick to somewhere in the middle to late middle part of the draft.

One of the teams that’s looking at him is Golden State and while the Warriors dynasty is aging out now, that should still please him.

The best thing that could happen to most players is to go to a well-managed franchise. Golden State has been well-managed for a while now. The owners are smart and not cheap, Steve Kerr has been a wonderful coach and recently retired GM Bob Myers did a brilliant job too.

Golden State will have to retool, but that might not take as long as you think. We’re not suggesting that more titles are going to roll in but that the team could be in contention again soon.

There could be worse places to end up.

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