The Majesty of Derik Queen | The Prospect Overview
Maryland big man Derik Queen is both unorthodox and mesmerizing. Maxwell takes an early look at his case for the 2025 NBA Draft. PLUS: An NBL focused Quick Hits!
The main reason I’m writing this article is because I love basketball. There are other factors at play, obviously, but the root cause of this article is that I fell in love with this sport as a child. I grew up in Chicago during the peak of the Jordan years. In pre-school, I brought the NBA standings, which I’d cut out of the newspaper, to show and tell. I dressed as Steve Kerr for Halloween…twice. As I grew older, the Bulls fell apart. Still, my love for the game lived on. I followed Kerr’s journey in San Antonio and found myself captivated by the fundamental brilliance of Tim Duncan. Meanwhile, in Philadelphia, the grit and flash of Allen Iverson captured my imagination. As Duncan and Iverson aged, I found new players and teams to latch onto.
Basketball is never going to love me back. That’s not how this works. But whether the game knows it or not, it will always be there for me. This year hasn’t been particularly good for me. I’m not a “whine and complain guy,” and there are billions of people who have it worse, so I’m not going to bore you with the details. But I’ve had more “down” days than usual. And on those days, I always know that I can put on some game tape and take my mind elsewhere.
When scouting the incoming freshman class, no player made me happier than Derik Queen. Let me be clear—I’m not saying that Queen is the best player in the class, nor am I saying that he didn’t occasionally make frustrating plays. But what I am saying is that he’s really good, he’s entertaining to watch, and he always made at least one play per game that put a huge smile on my face. Plus, there is a fascinating conversation to be had about how his unorthodox but effective play style could translate to both the college and NBA game.
I’m writing this column because I love basketball, and every time I watch Derik Queen, I’m reminded of why I love it.
Derik Queen, 6’10”, 246, Freshman, Maryland
2023-2024 Statistics in EYBL Scholastic Play at Montverde Academy: -16.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.1 BPG, 0.7 SPG
-61.0/0/86.0
Accolades and Notable Numbers:
-Co-MVP of the McDonald's All-America Game
-Five Star recruit across all major services
-Led EYBL Scholastic conference play in RPG
-2nd in EYBL Scholastic conference play in FG%
-5th in EYBL Scholastic conference play in FT%
-8th in EYBL Scholastic conference play in PPG
The Sales Pitch
If you’ve watched Derik Queen before, you’re probably thinking, “THE PASSING! TALK ABOUT THE PASSING!” And I will! I promise! But first, I think it’s critical that we talk about why he’s able to be so effective as a passer. His skill in that department shouldn’t go overlooked, but it is greatly accentuated by Queen’s ability to score the ball efficiently.
Almost all of Queen’s halfcourt scoring at Montverde came on the interior. He cleaned up there, converting 67.8% of his halfcourt rim attempts, per Synergy. At the high school level, he did a fantastic job of using his strength to displace defenders and get to his spots inside. He could use his large frame to bully opponents before finishing with his baby soft touch. When defenders tried to fight back with physicality, he had no issue finishing through contact.
But what makes Queen’s scoring output more enticing from an NBA standpoint is that he’s more than a post-oriented throwback player. His faceup game lives at the intersection of grace and violence. He is both mighty and majestic. Queen has the size of a defensive lineman but the feet of a ballerina. He might not be the fastest dude in the world, but his first step is still pretty solid given his frame. Queen has fancy footwork and an impressive handle for his size. His comfort with putting the ball on the deck is uncanny for a young big man. Even when opponents initially cut him off, Queen has a deep bag of counters, pivots, and fakes that he can dig into. Whether he shakes a defender off balance with a dribble move or baits them into leaving their feet with a pump fake, he finds ways to generate clean looks for himself at the rim. Because Queen can create for himself and score, defenses are forced to respect him and collapse on him. As a result, that doesn’t just make his playmaking for others respectable, but downright devastating.
Okay, now we can get to the passing. Well, sort of. First, I think it’s important to talk about why the passing matters. Let’s take a look at centers who started over 20 NBA games last season. According to the NBA stats website, 44 players met that threshold for the 2023-2024 regular season. Out of those 44 players, only seven of them had a negative assist-to-turnover ratio:
-Rudy Gobert
-Jaren Jackson Jr.
-Myles Turner
-Mitchell Robinson
-Deandre Ayton
-John Collins
-Nick Richards
Let’s talk about what that means. For starters, Rudy Gobert is a four-time Defensive Player of the Year Award winner. Jaren Jackson Jr. is also a former DPOY, and he’s also more of a power forward, BUT I DIGRESS. Myles Turner led the league in blocks twice, and he’s also one of the better floor-spacing fives out there. Mitchell Robinson is an intimidating force around the basket and fantastic on the glass when healthy. Deandre Ayton anchored the defense of a team that went to the NBA finals. When you look at the guys on that list that you’d really want to have on your basketball team, they are outstanding defensive players.
So, if a player isn’t going to be providing that type of value on the defensive end, they better be able to do some stuff on offense. The NBA is evolving. If it’s not a 5-out world, it’s often a 4.5-out world at the very least. In order to maximize spacing, the guys who would have been post players in the past are now further away from the basket more consistently. They have to be able to do more with the ball as a result. Whether it’s orchestrating the offense in a delay set or acting as a short roll playmaker after a high ball screen, taller players need more of a perimeter skill set than ever before. It’s also become an expectation that big men come into the league with these skills at their disposal. The average assist rate for bigs drafted out of college is notably higher now than it was a decade ago.
In this sense, Derik Queen is positioned ahead of the curve. Per Synergy, he posted 58 assists to 52 turnovers across 27 games. That’s awesome to see out of a young big man. But it gets even better! Let’s consider his context at Montverde. He was on a team with projected number one pick Cooper Flagg. Additionally, Liam McNeeley and Asa Newell are favorites to hear their name called in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft. Plus, they had two high-major point guards in Robert Wright and Curtis Givens III. Despite the absurdity of that depth chart, Montverde let Queen run the offense and cook far more often than most high school centers. Additionally, these assists weren’t just a function of him simply giving the ball to another phenomenal basketball player who made a shot. Look at these clips…
This is not a “hey, this guy makes the occasional nice pass” situation. Derik Queen can make every type of pass imaginable and do it with accuracy. He can punish double teams by spraying it out to open shooters. He can sling bounce passes to cutters from the top of the key. He can make snappy decisions from the high post. He can make the right read in a hurry out of a short roll. He can whip the ball across to the court to a shooter in the weakside corner with either hand. He can hot-potato the ball to open teammates because he knows where everyone is at all times. He can grab a defensive rebound and lead the break before throwing a long-range lob for an alley-oop.
I need to emphasize this again—we aren’t talking about a capable passer. We are talking about a guy who can make every pass in the book. Queen is supremely skilled. He is able to execute a wider variety of passes than most big men on the planet. But it’s his mental acuity that separates him. It’s not that he can do it, but that he knows how to do it in a way that few others his age can match. He has the floor mapped and knows the precise type of pass to maximize openings. If he needs to throw a bounce pass to get the ball to his man, he will. If the pass needs a ton of heat on it to reach its target, you can bet that Queen will bring it. I rarely use hyperbole, but Queen feels special in this sense.
The Questions, and How He Can Answer Them
You may be wondering why, if Derik Queen might be a special talent, he isn’t consistently projected as a lottery pick. Queen isn’t without his flaws. With that being said, we’ve yet to see him on a college court yet. For those reasons, I don’t think it’s fair to be overly critical at this stage in the process. What makes the most sense is to look at the questions about his game, and how he could potentially answer them this coming season.
Let’s start with the physical measurements and athleticism side of things. While Maryland lists him at 6’10”, he was listed at 6’9” for most of his high school career. There’s a possibility that he could be under that number barefoot. Additionally, while Queen is strong, he’s not like, Zach Edey strong. As a result, how he measures from a standing reach and wingspan perspective will be important to his stock. He’s also not in the best shape. Queen can be slow to get up and down the court, and he’s not the fastest off the floor when it comes to blocking shots or catching lobs.
That’s worth taking into consideration, but I’m never one to write off guys with fitness issues. I am a “Weight Loss Guy” myself. With the resources he will have at his disposal, I think it’s reasonable to expect that Queen’s conditioning will get up to snuff and that he should be able to make some athletic improvements. Dillon Jones is a great example to look at. By the time he left Weber State, he wasn’t the most athletic guy in the world. But when he was a sophomore, he was laboring up and down the court at times. When his senior season rolled around, he was moving better in every sense, and his stamina wasn’t a hindrance at any point. Queen won’t turn into Amen Thompson, but I’d bet he’ll be quite a bit further along than he is now whenever it’s his time to turn pro.
Still, there are questions about how he can score and create advantages in the NBA at his size. If he’s not a lob target, is his team going to let him face up? Will he be able to punish defenders who sag off on him? We’ve seen little from Queen at lower levels to answer that definitively. Per Synergy, Queen took 11 jump shots at Montverde, going 1-8 on twos and 0-3 on threes. He took 22 jump shots for Team Thrill on the Under Armour circuit, going 4-21 on twos and 0-1 on threes.
There’s reason to believe he could evolve into a respectable jump shooter. Queen is a great free throw shooter, particularly for his age and size. He went 81-for-104 at Montverde last season, per Synergy. While free throw percentage is far from a perfect indicator of future three-point shooting, it tends to be a good one for young bigs who don’t shoot many threes. If Queen can transfer that touch into beyond the arc shooting in live gameplay, he would be a nightmare for opposing defenses. It would create cleaner passing lanes for him while also making it easier for him to use his dribble game against opposing bigs. That outcome is on the table for him.
There are still concerns defensively, though. Queen only blocked 15 shots in the 27 Montverde games tracked by Synergy last season. For context, when Jalen Duren was at Montverde, he logged 38 blocks in 21 games. DaRon Holmes recorded 11 blocks in nine games. Queen is behind the curve as a rim protector, largely due to his lack of bounce and length. It’s hard for him to lock down the rim in drop coverage. Putting him into a switch scheme doesn’t appear to be the greatest solution, either. He can be heavy-footed and slow in space. His closeouts leave a lot to be desired. For Queen, proving that he can fit into one of the NBA’s more common ball screen coverages (either drop or switching) on a consistent basis would go a long way.
Still, there are times I find myself quite optimistic. For starters, we circle back to Queen’s mind. He really knows how to play and can read opposing offenses well. You can see the gears turning, and he knows where he’s supposed to go in off-ball settings. Even if he doesn’t record a ton of blocks, his strength enables him to swallow up opponents when they test him at the rim, leading to tough, contested looks. He also has some bright spots when he gets pulled out to the perimeter. A prime example of this came during the McDonalds All-American game.
He generated not one, not two, but three steals in ball screen coverage. In these instances, he either hedged or played at the level of the ball screen before stripping the ball handler. Queen’s timing, instincts, and coordination were on full display. In general, he does a good job of not surrendering too much space when he has to guard on the perimeter. If he doesn’t trust his feet, you wouldn’t know it. He’s also comfortable making opponents wear his large frame in order to get to their spots, which they’re often unable to do. Even if Queen’s tools may not be ideal, he’s smart, confident, and knows how to make things happen. That could go a long way while he gets his fitness stuff sorted out.
Conclusion
There are evaluators who are exercising caution when it comes to Derik Queen. I don’t think they’re misguided in doing so. It’s hard for modern big men to provide positive value when they struggle defensively. Still, I wouldn’t count out Derik Queen finding a way to get there on that end of the floor. It may take some time and patience, but his ability to stay one step ahead of the game shouldn’t be overlooked. Plus, he’ll have plenty of high-level resources at his disposal at Maryland.
On the offensive end, it’s hard for me to contain my excitement. Yes, Queen will likely need to add a jump shot to maximize his skill set. But he’s already great at the free throw line, and that tends to mean something with big men. His graceful footwork, polished handle, physical strength, and mesmerizing passing portfolio are all advanced for a college freshman. If things come together for him, he could find himself headed down a path akin to Alperen Sengun and Domantas Sabonis. He’s that special from a playmaking standpoint. While there can be complexities that can arise from a team-building standpoint with that type of player, those guys are still extremely talented and would go high in a re-draft.
I like to approach incoming freshmen with patience. Some guys pan out, and some guys don’t. I’d rather wait and see what a player looks like at the college level before jumping to conclusions about their NBA prospects. Still, I’m wildly intrigued by Derik Queen. Maybe it won’t click, and I’ll just remember him as the guy whose high school tape brought me a lot of happiness. Perhaps he’ll be a dominant collegiate player who struggles to scale up like Drew Timme. It’s also conceivable that there’s a world where he figures it out and reaches an All-Star level. There are a lot of different ways I can see this going, but I’m excited to see wherever it goes. Because I love basketball, and every time I watch Derik Queen, I’m reminded of why I love it.
Quick Hits
-I’ve been really pleased with Alex Toohey’s progression. The 6’8” 20-year-old, who is entering his second season with the Sydney Kings, was rock solid last year. This season, he’s taken some meaningful steps forward. He’s scored more efficiently from every part of the floor (50.6/44.1/72.2 splits as of this writing) and has shown a great degree of comfort launching threes over closeouts. Toohey is a smart connective passer who keeps the offense humming. He has sharp cutting instincts off the ball. Defensively, he uses his chest and length well to stay in front of opponents. He’s difficult to get around when he plays with discipline (though he can be a bit jumpy and leave his feet too easily). I’ll be focused on his progression in three areas. First, his off-ball defense, as he can be too glued to his man at times. Second, how efficient he is from deep over a larger sample, as his extremely knock-kneed base gives me some pause. And third, how he attacks closeouts, as his handle and burst can leave me wanting more at times. Toohey is a bet I’m comfortable with in the late first/early second at this stage. He’s a 6’8” dude who knows how to play and can thrive in a lower-usage role.
-While his efficiency hasn’t totally been there yet, I also like what I’ve seen out of Perth’s Ben Henshall. The first thing that popped off the screen to me was how much better his body looked. His frame is starting to fill out. That does wonders for him when it comes to fighting his way free off the ball on offense and containing opponents on defense. Even with the extra size, he still looked flexible navigating screens and staying in his stance. He’s taken strides as a playmaker, too. He has some real rhythm to his handle, and he does a great job of looking off his passes. The shots have to start falling given his playstyle (38.7/34.4/92.3 splits as of this writing), but the comfortability and functionality of his shot is encouraging. I’d expect him to turn that around and stay in the mix all year.
-Henshall’s teammate Izan Almansa made some body improvements, too. He’s looking leaner, quicker, and more agile. He’s getting off the floor better and moving better laterally on defense. Offensively, he’s still comfortable putting the ball on the deck, and he’s reading the defense more consistently. I’m still a bit confused as to where he slots positionally from an NBA standpoint. He doesn’t have the strength to play the five, and he’s still yet to develop a reliable jumper.
-I’m still in on Malique Lewis. The 6’8” 19-year-old hasn’t put up gaudy counting numbers for the South East Melbourne Phoenix, but there’s been a lot to like, particularly on defense. The dude just takes up a ton of space with his 7’1” wingspan. He knows where to be in help and how to play in gaps. He has awesome discipline on the ball. Paired with his frame, that leads to opponents forcing tough shots, picking up their dribbles, and turning the ball over. Offensively, he doesn’t have a lot of polish, but he’s a low-mistake player. He’s strong downhill and plays through contact well. He’ll need to get his three-ball going (30% through six games), but he shot 34.4% in the G League last season. I love his physical tools, defensive output, and the complementary nature of his offensive game. He’s a second-round guy for me at the moment with room to climb.
-Rocco Zikarsky has seen some ups and downs, which is to be expected from a 7’2” 18-year-old playing in a professional league. His sheer size deters opponents from getting deep into the paint. Offensively, his giant catch radius and speed off the floor allow him to spike lobs. Defensively, he can be slow in space, and he can react a second too slow at times. I’d also like to see him be more aggressive when it comes rebounding and box outs. The framework of his game and tools seem to guarantee an NBA cup of coffee at worst, but how he rounds out his game will determine when and how high he gets drafted.