2022 NBA Mock Draft: The latest predictions for the first round originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
Last Thursday, the Golden State Warriors were crowned champions for the 2021-22 NBA season.
This Thursday, what will surely be exciting off-season, begins in earnest with the 2022 NBA Draft.
Here’s NBC Sports Chicago’s latest prediction on how the first round will shake, including the Chicago Bulls, adding a little help from the front zone with the 18th overall pick:
1. Orlando Magic: Jabari Smith, F, Auburn
Age: 19
Statistics for 2021-22: 16.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 1.1 spg, 1 bpg | 42% 3P
Magic will have to consider this decision to change the franchise from mid-May, and the consensus says they can not go wrong with any of the three strongest strikers. At Smith, they get an NBA-ready shooter in the front zone with tempting defensive sides to add to the thriving young core.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder: Chet Holmgren, F, Gonzaga
Age: 20
Statistics for 2021-22: 14.1 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 3.7 bpg | 60.7% FG, 39% 3P
Holmgren was one of the most dominant two-way forces in college basketball last season, threatening to block strikes with a flexible offensive game that includes passes, ball handling and outside shooting. He would get along great with Shay Gildos-Alexander and Josh Guide, potentially pushing Oklahoma City to the next phase of their recovery.
3. Houston Rockets: Paolo Banchero, F, Duke
Age: 19
Statistics for 2021-22: 17.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3.2 apg, 1.1 spg | 47.8% FG, 33.8% 3P
Banchero would be a great consolation prize for Houston, who dropped to third in the draft lottery in May, despite finishing the season with the worst record in the league. He is ready to create a Day 1 striker with the good side to grow into an offensive center as a scorer and playmaker for others.
4. Sacramento Kings: Jaden Ivy, G, Purdue
Age: 20
Statistics for 2021-22: 17.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 3.1 pg | 46% FG, 35.8% 3P, 74.4% FT
Sacramento was lucky in the lottery, jumping from seventh worst record in the league to fourth overall. And as they strive for a place in the playoffs following the exchange of Domantas Sabonis in mid-season in February, this selection is a candidate to be moved to immediate relief.
The story continues
However, whoever calls in the election, expect Ivy to get off the board. He is an atomic athlete with the potential to play that few in this draft class have.
5. Detroit Pistons: Keegan Murray, F, Iowa
Age: 21
Statistics for 2021-22: 23.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 1.3 spg | 55.4% FG, 39.8% 3P, 74.7% FT
Murray exploded on stage in his second season, tripling more than his average and emerging as an elite two-way prospect. It will glide tightly in Detroit’s rotation forward along with Saddiq Bey, adding defensive flexibility and much-needed shooting.
6. Indiana Pacers: Shedon Sharp, G, Kentucky
Age: 19
Statistics for 2021-22: N / A
Sharpe is perhaps the biggest mystery of this project, having abandoned his first season in Kentucky to focus on training for professionals. But the scoring talent he showed in the high school he graduated from ranked No. 3 in the nation’s 247 Sports rookie is sure to catch the eye of a needy lottery team. Here, it would be a home run by a Pacers in need of stellar talent and a top 10 pick for the first time since 1989.
7. Portland Trail Blazers: Dyson Daniels, G, G League Ignite
Age: 19
Statistics for 2021-22 (Showcase Cup): 11.3 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 4.4 apg, 1.9 spg
This is another choice with a good chance of being rejected on the night of the draft, as the Trail Blazers seek to redirect Damian Lillard. But if they keep the selection, Daniels’ defensive strength and playing potential would make him fit in perfectly with Portland’s current roster and the building block that is moving forward.
8. New Orleans Pelicans (via Lakers): Benedict Maturin, G / F, Arizona
Age: 20
Statistics for 2021-22: 17.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 1 spg | 36.9% 3P
Long, athletic and full of energy, Maturin would fit right into the springy young core of the Pelicans. And his annoying defense and scalable shooting could have made him the brand of double-sided wing that all teams dream of.
9. San Antonio Spurs: Jeremy Sochan, F, Baylor
Age: 19
Statistics for 2021-22: 9.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.3 spg | 47.4% FG, 29.6% 3P
Sochan has the tools to be elite at the defensive end of the floor, but questions about his outside strike obscure his overall projection. Enter San Antonio and their impeccable reputation for developing jumpers and menacing defensive wings.
10. Washington Wizards: Johnny Davis, G, Wisconsin
Age: 20
Statistics for 2021-22: 19.7 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.1 pg, 1.2 spg
Even with Bradley Beale leading the list, the Wizards could use more shooting in their back zone. Davis, the ruling player of the Big 10 of the Year, provides this in crowds and offers a perimeter security element to charge.
11. New York Knicks: Jalen Duran, K., Memphis
Age: 18
Statistics for 2021-22: 12 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.1 bpg | 59.7% FG
As Mitchell Robinson is ready to enter as a free agency and the rest of the photo on the front court – headed by Julius Randall – is uncertain, it will not be a bad time for New York to swing into the center of the future. Duren also offers a lot of potential for “best available perspective” due to his age and versatile skill set, including brilliant wheel protection, athletic effect and even some playing skills.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Clippers): AJ Griffin, G / F, Duke
Age: 18
Statistics for 2021-22: 10.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1 pg | 49.3% FG, 44.7% 3P
With his second choice of lottery, Thunder can embark on the flight of the extremely talented Griffin, who immediately brings ready-made NBA outdoor shooting, but must work in other areas of his game, especially in the defensive end. In Oklahoma City, he would have many opportunities to play through mistakes.
13. Charlotte Hornets: Mark Williams, K., Duke
Age: 20
Statistics for 2021-22: 11.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 2.8 bpg | 72.7% FT
The Hornets have been looking for a major center for years and can find one if Williams is their choice. Lifting 7 feet-2 with a wingspan of 7-7, the Duke product is an unearthly protector of the rim with the athleticism to thrive in Charlotte’s high-octane attack, led by LaMelo Ball.
14. Cleveland Cavaliers: Malaki Branham, J., Ohio
Age: 19
Statistics for 2021-22: 13.7 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2 pg | 49% FG, 41.6% 3P
Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen will patrol in battle over the next decade in Cleveland, and the Cavaliers could not be more pleased with the pairing. But if anything was revealed last season, it was that this team needed more perimeter photographers to reach the next level. There aren’t many left on the board who fit that score better than Branham, who thrives in the middle class and has potential off the ball as a 3-point scorer.
15. Charlotte Hornets (via Pelicans): Despair Agbaji, G / F, Kansas
Age: 22
Statistics for 2021-22: 18.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg | 40.7% 3P
Agbaji spent four years in Kansas, so he is slightly older than a typical potential candidate selected in the top half of the first round. But his profile as a solid winger in defense with a knockdown shot will give him instant value at the NBA level.
16. Atlanta Hawks: Tari Eason, F, LSU
Age: 21
Statistics for 2021-22: 16.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 1.9 bpg, 1.1 spg | 52.1% FG
Eason’s athleticism, defensiveness, and ability to score points internally (combined with a physique that gives him free-throwing skills) make teams fall in love with his potential. And that’s a set of skills that would go well with an Atlanta team in need of protective energy, especially if John Collins is exchanged in the off-season.
17. Houston Rockets (via Nets): Usman Dieng, Ji, New Zealand Breakers
Age: 19
Statistics for 2021-22: 8.9 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.1 pg | 39.8% FG
At Dieng, the Rockets would receive a high-value playmaker flyer to pair with Jalen Green. His size (6 feet-10) and ball skills are an enticing combination in a league that warps against positionless basketball year after year – and the Rockets will not be in a hurry to develop it.
18. Chicago Bulls: EJ Liddell, F, Ohio
Age: 21
Statistics for 2021-22: 19.4 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.6 bpg | 49% FG, 37.4% 3P
This is another choice that can be made if the Bulls find a deal to their liking that can immediately improve the team. But if they hold on to the selection, Liddell crosses the line between upward and ready to rotate. His defensive strength and sudden skill on the spot (he improved his 3-point percentage each season in Ohio) would add two-sided flexibility to the front zone, which needs reinforcements.
2022 NBA Draft Profile: EJ Liddell, Ohio
19. Minnesota Timberwolves: TyTy Washington, G, Kentucky
Age: 20
Statistics for 2021-22: 12.5 ppg, 3.9 pg, 3.5 rpg | 45.1% FG, 35% 3P
A skilled scorer and playmaker, Washington would be a sensible move to a teammate from the back of the future for Anthony Edwards. Meanwhile, Patrick Beverly and D’Angelo Russell could retain responsibility for the points – while Edwards and Carl-Anthony Towns also take on heavy offensive loads – while Kentucky’s product develops.
20. San Antonio Spurs (via Raptors): Blake Wesley, G, Notre Dame
Age: 19
Statistics for 2021-22: 14.4 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.4 pg, 1.3 spg | 40.4% FG, 30.3% 3P
The Spurs have shown a penchant for untreated, high-potential hitters by snatching Josh Primo late in the 2021 draft lottery. Wesley has a similar profile. He exploded on stage as a freshman in Notre Dame, becoming the first in the history of the “one and all” program with the weight of his physical instruments and dynamic play outside the dribble. If he manages to smooth his performance to the next level, he can gain huge value at the back end of the first round.
21. Denver Nuggets: Jalen Williams, G / F, Santa Clara
Age: 21
Statistics for 2021-22: 18 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 4.2 pg | 51.3% FG, 39.6% 3P
Williams is a multidimensional winger who fits the modern model because of his ability to handle, facilitate and, of course, score – especially given the drastic improvements to his 3-point shot during his teenage season in Santa Clara. He would be quite the offensive Swiss army …
Add Comment