Highlighting Derik Queen’s Strengths and Weaknesses Ahead of NBA Draft

Maryland made the NCAA Tournament this past season and was led by star freshman Derik Queen. The big man possesses a diverse offensive skill set that gives him a ton of star potential. He has a unique archetype that has some bust potential as well.

Let’s dive into his strengths and areas of improvement.

Strengths

The most NBA-ready skill for Queen is his all-around offensive skill level. The 6-foot-10 big man is arguably the most skilled big man in the 2025 NBA Draft. He’s able to score the ball in a variety of different ways due to his high basketball IQ, great feel for the game and understanding of how to create high quality shots. He has a great handle and is able to beat opposing bigs off the dribble. Queen is an elite advantage creator at his size and can even initiate an offense occasionally.

Queen absolutely thrives in the low post. He has the ability to get most shots off when he has the ball down low. The talented big man has a ton of creativity, great footwork and a great understanding on how to make opposing defenders look silly when defending him. Queen is undoubtedly one of the top post scorers in the draft and the scary thing is that he will only continue to improve as a post scorer as he gets older and matures. His strength allows him to finish through contact with ease.

Outside of being a lethal scoring threat, Queen is a very good passing big man and is comfortably in conversations as one of the top passing bigs in the draft. He has very good court vision and a high IQ for the game. His feel for the game is absolutely off the charts for his age and position which is a big positive as whoever coaches him in the NBA will be able to throw a variety of different lineups out there and Queen will be able to make it work. The former Maryland star has a lot of positive traits and skills on the offensive end.

Areas Of Improvement

The biggest area of improvement for Queen is on the defensive end. At this stage he’s a poor rim protector that has a ton of defensive limitations. He doesn’t possess a ton of vertical pop and doesn’t have great length for a big man. Due to those things he may have some concerns about him playing the center position on the defensive end in the NBA. A big question he will have to answer is what his defensive role will be in the NBA. Having a better motor and being more engaged on defense will be crucial.

As of now he isn’t a shooting threat from behind the arc. This past season he shot exactly 20% from behind the arc which is a bit underwhelming given his archetype and offensive skill. He doesn’t have great shooting range yet and the mechanics aren’t perfect. Improving as a shooter will be crucial for his NBA success as his main draw to NBA teams is his offensive ability. Adding a consistent jumper will only make him that much more deadly.