The 2022 NBA Draft is here, but its mysteries are still unsolved. The simulator drafts have been submitted, consensus has been reached and the excessive reactions of the fans are already starting.
Which is ultimately the best of our expected top three, Paolo, Chet or Jabari? How will Jaden Ivy handle the duties of a security guard if asked? Will AJ Griffin can find his best form again. Can Keegan Murray score in the NBA like he did in college? How about protection?
We won’t find the answers to those questions tonight, but CBS Sports NBA Draft analysts Gary Parish and Kyle Boone are here to assess the values teams draw from their choices as the night goes on. Follow here and watch our free NBA Draft coverage overnight at CBS Sports HQ here and in the video player on this page.
2022 NBA Draft First Round
Ratings by Gary Parish
1. Orlando Magic: PF Paolo Banchero, Duke
Although I would take Chet Holmgren, I can’t say it’s wrong to take Banchero. I think he will be the most influential player since the jump and a favorite to win Rookie of the Year. This is reasonable, if surprising. He is a big, strong and experienced striker who can be an amazing building block in Orlando. Rating: A
2. Oklahoma City Thunder: C Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
Concerns about Holmgren’s slim figure are justified – but he is such a unique prospect with incredible potential that he is the right choice here. This 7-foot rim protector, which can also bounce it off as a fuse and reliably make 3-pointers. It has the highest ceiling in this draft and therefore should not go lower than here. Rating: A +
3. Houston Rockets: PF Jabari Smith, Auburn
For most of the draft process, Smith was considered the No. 1 overall pick. And in a class with three potentially high-level big men, Smith became an easy pick when he finished third overall. Smith still has to develop in many ways, but he is already a great shooter and a replaceable defender who plays with undeniable energy and fits in well with Jalen Green. Rating: A +
4. Sacramento Kings: PF Keegan Murray, Iowa
I like Murray, but I wouldn’t do that. I would take Jaden Ivy. But he made it clear that he did not want to be there. I don’t think that’s enough to explain that he didn’t take it, but I understand where the Kings have gone with this move. Murray was a great player this season – the second best college basketball player in the country. Rating: B
5. Detroit Pistons: SG Jaden Ivey, Purdue
Ivy is an explosive athlete who plays on a large scale and is able to attack the rim in various ways. Comparisons with Ja Morant don’t really suit Ivy, but he’s still an exceptional player. There are questions about whether he will actually be a point guard in the NBA, but now he is paired with Cade Cunningham, a natural distributor. Rating: A +
6. Indiana Pacers: SG Benedict Maturin, Arizona
More than any other planned lottery choice, Maturin is the one whose shares I gained the most after evaluating it compared to what I thought during the season. Do you dive and what do you dislike? He is an 6-6 athletic winger who can do many things and has potential for the All Star. Rating: A
7. Portland Trail Blazers: SG Shaedon Sharpe, Kentucky
This choice is interesting because it seems with Jeremy Grant’s trading that the Blazers are trying to become good now. And Sharpe is an interesting approach from that point of view. But few players in this class have higher ceilings than him. He is an explosive goal scorer with incredible wing size and athleticism and may one day be a plus defender with these instruments. He’s just probably not ready to do that right after he didn’t play last season in Kentucky. Rating: B +
8. New Orleans Pelicans (by Lakers): SG Dyson Daniels, G League
Daniels is not exactly the prospect of previous Ignite stars, but he is still a charming size guard who can play with or without a ball. His jumper is the biggest concern at the moment, but if the Pelicans manage to fall, he has a high ceiling. And this Pelicans team is very close to being a legitimate contender – although much of it falls to Zion Williamson. Daniels fits very well into this core as perhaps the best perimeter defender in this draft. Rating: A +
9. San Antonio Spurs: SF Jeremy Sochan, Baylor
Sochan is the rare rookie from high school under 100, who becomes one and ready choice in the top 20. His ability to keep multiple positions and his potential as a scorer are among the reasons he is an attractive prospect and one of the most flexible players available in this project. The fact that the Spurs take it speaks volumes; it may not be what I would do, but it may just mean I’m wrong. Rating: A-
10. Washington Wizards: SF Johnny Davis, Wisconsin
Davis went from a mostly anonymous power conference player to National Player of the Year candidate in his second season in Wisconsin. I’m not worried about him slipping at the end of the season, and I think Bradley Beale can look at that as someone who helps you win right away. Rating: A-
11. Oklahoma City Thunder (by Knicks): SF Ousmane Dieng, France
Dieng is a long-term investment and he is not ready to help you next season. For the Knicks, this was probably not right, so they exchanged choices. But for Thunder, that probably makes sense. He is a long and experienced prospect who fits the Thunder window and is the type of player they build around. Rating: A-
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (by Clippers): SF Jalen Williams, Santa Clara
Williams probably helped himself more in the pre-draft process than any other available potential, largely because he was not highlighted as a Santa Clara player. But when you watch the movie, it’s all there. He is a good size, he really shoots it, he is athletic enough. Rating: B +
13. Detroit Pistons (from the Hornets through the Knicks): Jalen Duren, Memphis
Surprisingly, the Hornets, who need a center, exchanged this choice with the Knicks and then the Pistons, but what a move for them to join Ivy and their young core. Duren is not the type of big franchisee they prefer these days, but he is such a physical specimen and a great athlete that there is probably room for him in the modern NBA. 20 years ago, he would have been in the top 5 and has a great advantage to be successful in rim attack and internal defense. Rating: A +
14. Cleveland Cavaliers: SF Ochai Agbaji, Kansas
I love what Cleveland does. They have stocked it up with interesting young songs that they can really play now. Agbaji can change and keep different boys, as he is the best player in the best team in the country. I think he will be one of the top 10 players in the draft. And no, it’s not a finished product. Rating: A +
15. Charlotte Hornets (via Pelicans): Mark Williams, Duke
Charlotte had to come out of this project with a big man, and they might look back and regret not sticking to Duren. But even though Williams isn’t as high on my board as Duren was, he can really defend himself, and that’s exactly where I’ve been making fun of him all along. It is huge and controls the paint in defense. There is still a place in the league for this type of boys. Rating: A +
16. Atlanta Hawks: SF AJ Griffin, Duke
It took Griffin a little while to feel comfortable in Duke because of a pre-season knee injury that seemed to affect his athleticism. But the five-star high school rookie, who is the son of NBA assistant coach Adrian Griffin, eventually showed why he is a talent in the lottery – he took two places after the lottery. He may be the best scorer in the draft and can now play with an elite passer in Trae Young. Rating: A +
17. Houston Rockets (via Nets): PF Tari Eason, LSU
Esson was a breakthrough star at LSU after moving to Cincinnati after such a first season. It is a universal front-line option that can guard multiple positions and penalize defenses when transitioning. With the Rockets, he can play with his SEC teammate Jabari Smith as a defensive forward. My only reservation is that I think there were more talented players here for a team that wants to return to respect. Rating: B
18. Chicago Bulls: SF Dalen Terry, Arizona
There are many things I like about Terry. He is universal, does not irritate much and has great self-confidence. But it seems a little higher than most people had. I like that he believes in himself. Rating: B
19. Memphis Grizzlies (from Timberwolves): PF Jake LaRavia, Wake Forest
The confusing thing here for me is the trade in which Memphis exchanged 22 and 29 for 19. But this is what the Grizzlies front office did: They find their man and exchange to make sure they get it. I have LaRavia closer to 30 out of 20, but the history of the Grizzlies draft has won credibility with choices like Brandon Clark and Desmond Bain. Rating: B
20. San Antonio Spurs (by Raptors): SF Malaki Branham, Ohio
He was the best person available on my board because he is a wing with dimensions that can really create at a high level. He took over the matches until the end of the season. He has been insulted for days and was in the top 16 perspective. This kind of season, exceeding expectations, is super impressive and it can be a theft for a team that often finds them. Rating: A +
21. Denver Nuggets: SF Christian Brown, Kansas
Brown (pronounced “Brown for some reason”) is a wing of size that can maintain its position, reliably make jumpers, and end up in transition. He is the kind of prospect who can thrive with a Nuggets team that already has so many pieces for the future. They need more wings and Brown should be able to contribute early. There were affordable prospects with a higher class, but this is a strong choice. Rating: A-
22. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Jazz through Grizzlies): Sea Walker Kessler, Auburn
Kessler was probably the best defender in college basketball last season …
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