1:11 a.m. BST
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Tim BontempsESPN
NEW YORK – After months of speculation, Duke’s Paolo Banchero was a surprise selection by the Orlando Magic with the best overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft on Thursday night at the Barclays Center.
The Oklahoma City Thunder took Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren with the second choice, and sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that they had sent multiple first-round elections to the New York Knicks for No. 2 rights. 11 elected Usman Dieng from France.
Auburn striker Jabari Smith Jr. became No. 3 overall for the Houston Rockets.
In the weeks before the draft, Smith was expected to qualify for the top selection. But the Magic turned things upside down by taking Banchero, who wore a bright purple sequin suit, along with even brighter shoes, as he took the stage and shook hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
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“From the information I was told, I had the feeling that it was somehow in the air,” Banchero told ESPN to go first. “Orlando was still not really sure and just be ready for anything.
“However, I realized that I was actually elected up to about 20 seconds before the commissioner took the stage. I didn’t even have time to think about this or anything like that. It just happened. I can’t believe it, but I’m ready. I’m ready.”
The top five of the draft was Iowa striker Keegan Murray, who went to the Sacramento Kings with a fourth pick, and Purdue guard Jaden Ivey, who was selected fifth by the Detroit Pistons.
The 6-foot Duke striker averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game in 39 games for the Blue Devils, who reached the Final Four before losing to their eternal rivals in North Carolina. Banchero, who is perhaps the most prepared for the NBA perspective in this draft, will now be seen as the anchor of Orlando’s nascent recovery, which includes guards Jalen Sugs and Cole Anthony, strikers Franz Wagner and Jonathan Isaac and center Wendell Carter Jr.
While Banchero was the No. 1 surprise, Holmgren was always expected to go to Oklahoma City with the second choice. 7 feet from Gonzaga, Holmgren showed a wide range of skills during his only season in college, averaging 14.1 points on 60 percent overall shooting and 39 percent of 3-point range, while grabbing 9.9 rebounds and blocking 3 points. 7 strokes in 232.9 minutes for 232.9 minutes. games.
Oklahoma City already has an inner anchor to go with the promising young backfield of rising star Shay Gilgius-Alexander and Australian Josh Guide, the sixth overall pick in last year’s draft and first-team selection.
“I think it’s a great situation, great dynamics, playing with guys like Josh and Shay, and everyone on the list,” Holmgren said. “There are a lot of great players out there with unique skill sets. I feel like I can pair with them and help improve theirs, as well as their skill sets to improve mine.”
Smith, sweetly shooting 6 feet-10 forward, averaged 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds, while shooting 42 percent behind the 3-point arc.
After selecting Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Josh Christopher and Usman Garuba in the first round of last year’s draft, the Rockets – who also entered the evening with the 17th selection – continued their recovery after switching from franchise icon James Harden at the start of the 2021 season -22 by selecting Smith.
Asked if there was any additional motivation after he passed for the best choice, Smith said: “Definitely added a chip, but God does not make mistakes, so I am happy to be here. I’m happy to be where I am. I’m happy to get to Houston and just show them, give them what they chose. I’m just glad to be here. “
Murray broke through in the second season in Iowa, averaging 23.5 points and 8.7 rebounds, while shooting 55.4 percent of the field and 39.8 percent of 3 points. He will now join a Kings team that is trying to end a 16-year drought in the playoffs and readjust around guard De’Aaron Fox and big man Domantas Sabonis under new coach Mike Brown.
Ivy, who has said publicly that going to Sacramento will not be the “worst” thing that will happen to him, will unite him with last year’s best choice, Cade Cunningham, at the back of the Pistons. Like Murray, Ivey had a breakthrough in the second season, averaging 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists in Purdue, while showing breathtaking athleticism and straight-line speed.
The rest of the top 10 included Arizona guard Benedict Maturin, who finished sixth for the Indiana Pacers; Kentucky guard Shayden Sharp, who was selected seventh by the Portland Trail Blazers; Australian guard Dyson Daniels, who went to the New Orleans Pelicans with the eighth selection; Baylor striker Jeremy Sochan went to the San Antonio Spurs in ninth place; and Wisconsin Guard Johnny Davis goes 10th for the Washington Wizards.
Maturin averaged 17.7 points and 5.6 rebounds in Arizona and should rank next to defender Tyris Halliburton in the back of Indiana, as the Pacers appear to be entering full recovery for the first time in a generation.
Sharpe, meanwhile, was the former high school rookie who enrolled early in Kentucky and then did not play for the Wildcats this spring before entering the draft.
Daniels is the newest player to come to the NBA through G League Ignite, where he averaged 11.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 32 minutes per game last season.
Sochan averaged 9.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.3 steals for Baylor as a freshman and will bring San Antonio a versatile two-way game. Davis, at the top of this draft among Big Ten second-graders, erupted in his second season at Madison, averaging 19.7 points and 8.2 rebounds in 34.2 minutes per game.
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