Under Maintenance
We deeply apologize for interrupting your reading but Vendetta is currently undergoing some important maintenance! You may experience some layout shifts, slow loading times and dififculties in navigating.
Derik Queen 2025 NBA Draft Scouting Report
Derik Queen 2025 NBA Draft Scouting Report
Derik Queen is one of the most skilled players in the 2025 NBA Draft. He’s not without his flaws, but the Maryland product has plenty to offer at the next level. Here’s the scouting report on the talented big from Baltimore.
- Most Recent Team: Maryland Terrapins
- Position: C
- Draft Age: 20.48 years
- Season Stats (Freshman): 16.5 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.9 APG, 52.6% FG, 20.0% 3PT, 76.6% FT, 59.1% TS, 1.1 SPG, 1.1 BPG, 2.4 TOPG, 9.2 BPM
Combine Measurements
- Height (w/o shoes): 6’9.25”
- Weight: 247.8 lbs
- Wingspan: 7’0.50”
- Standing Reach: 9’1.50”
Strengths: Creation, Post Scoring, Rebounding
Something that stands out when you watch Derik Queen is how well he drives for his size. He can really put the ball on the deck and get to the cup, a skill that is fairly uncommon for a big. With his handle and high processing speed, Queen has what it takes to be an advantage creator in the NBA. He’s quite good at getting downhill and finished in the 79th percentile for AST%. His excellent understanding of timing and space allows him to create open looks for himself. The passing is downright awesome, and he can make pretty much any type of pass. Crosscourt one-hand passes, wraparound dimes down low, throwing teammates open – his passing bag is ridiculously deep. The Maryland product did tally more turnovers than assists, but the passing skill and vision are undeniably fun.
With soft touch around the basket, Queen is an effective post scorer. He can finish with either hand and isn’t afraid to use his body. Going back to his time at Monteverde, he was a very efficient halfcourt scorer due to his driving and touch. He’s also displayed really nice touch on fadeaway jumpers. Although you wouldn’t expect it, Queen is surprisingly nimble and will manipulate timing down low to get his shots up. He can spin on a dime after lulling his defender to sleep or immediately slow down his timing to get defenders off their feet. The high-level footwork and spatial awareness will almost certainly translate. Queen isn’t bursty by any means, but he’ll surprise you with his agility. The threat of his post scoring opens up more opportunities for him to make the extra pass and create a better shot for his teammates.
As a freshman, Derik Queen finished in the 96th percentile for DRB%, ranking first among his classmates per Torvik. He dropped 22 & 20 in his first game at Maryland and racked up 15 double-doubles. He is relatively undersized for a big, so I’m curious to see how the rebounding translates, but it was still a big part of his productivity this past season and should be viewed as a strength until proven otherwise. Given his physicality, timing, and instincts, there’s plenty to suggest Queen will be able to hold his own on the glass.
Weaknesses: Shooting, Athleticism, Motor
Queen’s lack of a jumpshot currently caps his offensive upside. Despite his occasional willingness to let some threes fly for Maryland, he simply isn’t a threat from distance. It’s clear Queen wants to add this skill to his game, and he has pretty good touch indicators, but it’s a major work in progress. This past season of 20% three-point shooting wasn’t an aberration; Queen wasn’t a reliable jump shooter in high school either.
It’s actually remarkable how effective he was able to be as a driver given the lack of shooting. If he is able to develop into a respectable enough shooter that opposing defenses can’t sag off, Queen will thrive as an advantage creator as his handle, footwork, vision, and touch around the rim will guarantee a good shot for his team almost every time he attacks a closeout. There’s still a positive outcome even if the jumper doesn’t come around, but that’s the quickest path for Derik Queen to maximize his offensive upside.
Queen’s limited athleticism is a major red flag for me. It’s probably the worst thing about his game. He didn’t test well at the combine – Nick Kalinowski’s Combine Score had him at a putrid 6.2. The footwork is quite good, but the foot speed leaves a lot to be desired. I’m mildly concerned that his driving will not be nearly as potent in the NBA because of that. He primarily leveraged his long stride length and bulk when driving, but that’s not guaranteed to work in the pros against faster and bigger defenders.
Defensively, Queen’s poor foot speed hurts him when he needs to guard out in space. Some of his defensive lowlights were due to poor athleticism (not super fixable) and some were just lapses (fixable). He doesn’t project to be particularly switchable at the NBA level and he’s certainly not going to be a rim protector. You can fall back on him being a freshman, but he was nonetheless prone to missing defensive rotations. Queen showed some defensive flashes, but he was fairly inconsistent on that end. It’s tough to see an outcome where he becomes an obviously positive defender.
I’m going to lump a few of my other concerns together under the “motor” tag. Queen was 94th percentile in usage. He won’t be in the NBA. Will he find ways to be productive without that level of priority? DQ was clearly the best player on the court in pretty much every game for Maryland, but sometimes he tended to coast and didn’t force the issue enough for my liking. Whether that’s a conditioning issue, effort issue, or combination of the two is difficult to discern. He would make really frustrating decisions that seemed to stem from laziness. Queen likes to play at his pace (and is mostly successful doing things that way), but how much of a leash is he realistically going to get in the NBA? I’m concerned that if he isn’t actively engaged, he will be a glaring negative.
Projection: Lottery Pick
There’s definitely a pessimistic way to view Derik Queen given his poor athletic measurements, limited spacing value, and questionable motor, but the sheer amount of skill makes it difficult for me to envision a world where he falls outside the lottery. Whatever team drafts him will instantly be adding a fantastic dynamic to their offense with his passing, vision, and advantage creation. He’s got work to do in terms of rounding out his game, but DQ has the upside to truly shine in the NBA. A lock top-20 pick in the NBA Draft, look for him to hear his name called in the lottery.
***
SIGN UP for Vendetta Fantasy Contests!
Homefield is the best collegiate apparel brand in the business! Their high-quality designs perfectly and thoughtfully capture the nostalgia of college sports with vintage logos and unique elements you won’t find anywhere else. Homefield has shirts, sweatshirts, hats, and more for 150+ colleges, and they are constantly adding new schools to the lineup!
Click here to check out Homefield and use code JIMMER for 15% off!
SUBSCRIBE to the Vendetta YouTube Channel!
READ the latest from VSM!
