Wednesday, June 8, 2022

2022 NBA Mock Draft: Sixth Edition

Here is the sixth edition of my 2022 NBA Mock Draft.

1. Orlando Magic- Jabari Smith, Power Forward, Auburn: The Magic can have their pick of one of the big three with Smith, Chet Holmgren, and Paolo Banchero. Smith you can make a case is the safest of the top three draft prospects bet due to his fine all around play in college despite poor guard play around him.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder- Paolo Banchero, Power Forward/Center, Duke: There is a ton of buzz going around that the Thunder may surprise us and take Banchero here instead of Chet Holmgren. Banchero is perhaps the best offensive player in this draft including his skillset and willingness to pass the ball, but he is not a rim protector and his defense is suspect.

3. Houston Rockets- Chet Holmgren, Power Forward/Center, Gonzaga: The Rockets will take the last one remaining of the top three prospects and they'll gladly take Holmgren, who folks thought would possibly go first overall. Holmgren has a great skill set and it would fit well with the young nucleus the team has going.

4. Sacramento Kings- Jaden Ivey, Point Guard/Shooting Guard, Purdue: This would be an odd fit considering the Kings already have D'Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell, unless the team opts to move one of the two point guards. Ivey is a super explosive player, but he lacks the distribution skills.

5. Detroit Pistons- Keegan Murray, Power Forward, Purdue: The Pistons dropping to the fifth spot is not ideal, but it may not be a complete disaster as they have a few viable options. Murray is a nice fit here as he can be a fun pick and pop partner for Cade Cunningham with his shooting ability.

6. Indiana Pacers- Sheldon Sharpe, Shooting Guard, Kentucky: The Pacers should just go with the best player available at this point and the fit with Sharpe would be interesting considering the Pacers have a lot of solid guards on their roster. Sharpe didn't play at Kentucky, but can shoot the lights out of the ball.

7. Portland Trail Blazers- Dyson Daniels, Shooting Guard, G-League Ignite: This would be a major reach for the Blazers if this was the selection, but Daniels has been a super fast riser of late. People are skeptical of Daniels due to his shooting numbers, but he is a solid defender and gets to the basket.

8. New Orleans Pelicans (from Los Angeles Lakers)- Bennedict Mathurin, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Arizona: This would be a nice pick for the Pelicans, who would add depth on the wing. Mathurin really broke out in a big way last season and is your classic three-and-D wing that a ton of teams will covet.

9. San Antonio Spurs- AJ Griffin, Small Forward, Duke: The consensus for a while was that the Spurs were going to target a center with this pick, but here I have them going in a different direction. Griffin had a fine season for the Blue Devils and he can come in and provide some good shooting and athleticism.

10.  Washington Wizards- Johnny Davis, Shooting Guard, Wisconsin: This would be a very interesting pick for the Wizards since Bradley Beal is the face of trade rumors. Davis is a very selfless player and even if the Wiz were to keep Beal, he and Davis would be a fun pair together on the perimeter.

11. New York Knicks- Ty Ty Washington, Point Guard, Kentucky: Some may look at this as a reach, but I can see Knicks fans excited for Ty Ty in the Big Apple. The Knicks have a need for a true point guard and the idea of Washington with his capabilities to go with Immanuel Quickley in the back court would be fun.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Los Angeles Clippers)- Jeremy Schoan, Small Forward, Baylor: The Thunder are a team that needs some help on the wing. Schoan is someone that really showed off an elite skill set this past season with the Bears and I like this fit here with the Thunder.

13. Charlotte Hornets- Mark Williams, Center, Duke: The third Duke player in this mock I have going to Charlotte. The Hornets badly need a center and Williams is someone who had a great tournament in which his stock rose, but he doesn't have high upside.

14. Cleveland Cavaliers- Ousame Dieng, Small Forward, France: This pick would be a reach for the Cavaliers, who really should be taking players that can help them right away rather than someone who's a project. Dieng was inconsistent in the NBL, but has tremendous upside with his shot making and ball handling.

15. Charlotte Hornets (from New Orleans Pelicans)- Malaki Branham, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Ohio State: With their second first rounder, the Hornets grab a fast rising wing prospect who may be a reach here. Branahm can shoot it from well from three and gets into the paint often.

16. Atlanta Hawks- Jalen Duren, Center, Memphis: The Hawks get the steal of this mock draft so far with Duren. This would be an intetresting pick considering their abundance of bigs and Duren is someone that is capable of putting up a double-double.

17. Houston Rockets (from Brooklyn Nets)-  Jalen Williams, Shooting Guard, Santa Clara: With their second first rounder, I have the Rockets going with Williams, who I think can be a solid bench player. He has been a big time riser of late in terms of draft prospects and showed tremendous potential as a three-and-D wing.

18. Chicago Bulls- Tari Eason, Power Forward, LSU: The Bulls are one of the unknowns as we head into the draft in two weeks. Eason had a breakout season for the Tigers and is an excellent defender, but has some offensive flaws.

19. Minnesota Timberwolves- EJ Liddell, Power Forward, Ohio State: I really like the thought of Liddell with the Timberwolves as he would be a nice complement with their core players. Liddell is somebody that is a little bit older, but improved each and every season at Ohio State.

20. San Antonio Spurs- Nikola Jovic, Power Forward, Serbia: The Spurs going with Jovic here would be very interesting. He is the safest bet of the international players in this draft and he is your classic "point forward" type of player that does a little bit of everything.

21. Denver Nuggets- Blake Wesley, Shooting Guard, Notre Dame: The Nuggets are a team that aims to be in the title conversation next season so they hope to nail this pick. I do feel Wesley here would be a reach because he didn't impress in college, but he's not afraid to score.

22. Memphis Grizzlies (from Utah Jazz)- Ochai Agbaji, Shooting Guard, Kansas: This would be an interesting selection for the Grizzlies, who have some decisions to make regarding some of the wings on their roster. Agbaji really put himself in a good position to return to school and winning Most Outstanding Player in the tournament to be a first rounder.

23. Philadelphia 76ers- Wendell Moore Jr, Shooting Guard/Small Forward, Duke: The Nets chose to defer this pick to 2023, which says a ton about how they may feel about the 76ers next season so there is some pressure to nail this pick. I like the idea of Moore here due to his floor spacing and ability to shoot 3's.

24. Milwaukee Bucks- MarJon Beauchamp, Shooting Guard, G-League Ignite: The second player from the loaded G-League Ignite team going I have Beauchamp. He is a really good scorer and he could be a heat check guy for the Bucks, who could end up back in contention next season if they keep the current group intact.

25. San Antonio Spurs (from Boston Celtics)- Jaden Hardy, Shooting Guard, G-League Unite: With the third first rounder, I have the Spurs going with the third G-League Unite player in this mock with Hardy. He's a player that didn't live up to hype with Unite, but has a ton of potential that he could unlock.

26. Dallas Mavericks- Walker Kessler, Center, Auburn: This would be an interesting pick for the Mavericks, who doesn't have a true center on their roster. Kessler is an absolute monster defensively in the paint and blocks shots like there's no tomorrow.

27. Miami Heat- Jake LaRavia, Power Forward, Wake Forest: The Heat are just looking for depth pieces at this point or they may trade out of the pick altogether. LaRavia has good aspects of the game and can shoot the three ball well, which bolds well for today's NBA.

28. Golden State Warriors- Christian Braun, Shooting Guard, Kansas: The Warriors are another strong candidate to trade out of their selection. Braun is an NBA-ready three-and-D wing and is good at attacking the rim.

29. Memphis Grizzlies- Dalen Terry, Point Gaurd/Shooting Guard, Arizona: Terry is a fast rising prospect with the draft in two weeks as the Grizzlies are looking to add to what could be a championship contender. Terry is someone that has great character on and off the court and the Grizzlies can mold him into a key contributor.

30. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Phoenix Suns)- Kendall Brown, Small Forward, Baylor: Brown falling to the end of the first round would be a steal for the Thunder. Brown can come off the bench and provide solid play and has the athleticism to succeed.

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