NBA: 2022 Mock Draft 1.0

#1 Orlando Magic

Jabari Smith (Auburn)

Age: 19

Height: 6'10

Weight: 220

Wingspan: 7'1

Jabari Smith is the most NBA-ready prospect in the 2022 draft class and has the potential to become an elite scorer and defender in the near future. Even though Auburn was upset early in the NCAA Tournament, the 6'10 forward flashed smooth scoring ability with 20+ points in 14 games during his SEC Freshman of the Year campaign. Smith put up 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds on 42% shooting from 3-point range. The Orlando Magic will attempt to pair promising young players Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner with an ultra-talented and versatile forward in Smith.

NBA Comp: Michael Porter (Nuggets)

#2 Houston Rockets

Paolo Banchero (Duke)

Age: 19

Position: PF

Height: 6'10

Weight: 250

Wingspan: 7'0

Paolo Banchero is certainly still in consideration to be the #1 pick and has a chance to boost his stock on the biggest stage in the Final Four this weekend. The 6'10 forward can be a physical force when attacking off the dribble and has incredible isolation capability. Banchero looked ready for the next level when I saw him play in late November at Ohio State and he's only improved since then. The Houston Rockets could take a chance on Chet Holmgren but the Duke freshman is a safer selection after averaging 17.1 points and shooting 50.9% during the NCAA Tournament.

NBA Comp: Julius Randle (Knicks)

#3 Detroit Pistons

Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)

Age: 19

Position: C

Height: 7'0

Weight: 195

Wingspan: 7'6

Chet Holmgren remains the most difficult prospect to evaluate in the 2022 class because of his unconventional play style and lack of strength. Even after a successful freshman season at Gonzaga, the 7'0 center seems to be the furthest from a finished product compared to the other top tier candidates. The Detroit Pistons could look to add another guard alongside Cade Cunningham with Jaden Ivey or Shaedon Sharpe but the Bulldogs big man is worth the risk. Holmgren scored 14.1 points on 60.1% from the field and ranked 4th in the nation with 3.7 blocks per game.

NBA Comp: Mo Bamba (Magic)

#4 Oklahoma City Thunder

Keegan Murray (Iowa)

Age: 21

Position: SF

Height: 6'8

Weight: 225

Wingspan: 6'11

Keegan Murray went from an afterthought as a freshman on Iowa in 2021 to the Big Ten Tournament MVP and a surefire lottery pick following his sophomore season. The 6'8 forward has great length, patience, range and is one of the smoothest scorers in the draft class. He was downright special en route to breaking the Big Ten Tournament scoring record and led the conference with 23.5 points on 55.4% shooting from the field. The Oklahoma City Thunder are hoping to move into the top-3 by draft day but Murray would be a dynamic consolation prize.

NBA Comp: Tobias Harris (76ers)

#5 Indiana Pacers

Jaden Ivey (Purdue)

Jaden Ivey is likely going to be the first guard selected in the upcoming draft after a second season at Purdue. The 6'4 guard has first class athleticism, finishing ability and can play both backcourt positions at the next level. Ivey would have a chance to learn and thrive next to Tyrese Haliburton if the Indiana Pacers drafted him. Despite struggling in the Sweet 16 loss against Saint Peter's, I think Ivey will flourish with a faster pace and much more space in the NBA. He averaged 17.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a sophomore.

Age: 20

Position: PG

Height: 6'4

Weight: 195

Wingspan: 6'8

NBA Comp: Ayo Dosunmu (Bulls)

6) Portland Trail Blazers

Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky)

Age: 18

Position: SG

Height: 6'6

Weight: 200

Wingspan: 7'0

Shaedon Sharpe had a meteoric rise late during his recruiting process prior to enrolling early at Kentucky this season. He originally went to Lexington with the expectation of not being eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft. Even though the 6'6 guard didn't appear in a game with the Wildcats, Sharpe is headed to the league. There's no doubt that his athleticism will translate to the NBA but it may take a little time given his age and relative inexperience. If the Portland Trail Blazers decide to add backcourt depth, Sharpe would be able to study Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons.

NBA Comp: Jalen Green (Rockets)

7) Sacramento Kings

AJ Griffin (Duke)

Age: 18

Position: SG

Height: 6'6

Weight: 222

Wingspan: 7'0

AJ Griffin is one of purest shooters available after knocking down 45.8% from 3-point territory as a freshman and he could go even higher if Sharpe remains on the board. The Sacramento Kings could go in multiple directions after trading Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis at the trade deadline and it would make sense for the front office to add low-usage scorers since Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox are dominant ball handlers. Griffin doesn't have the same athleticism that others in the lottery do but his shooting prowess has put him in the mix to be a top-5 pick.

NBA Comp: Dillon Brooks (Grizzlies)

8) Memphis Grizzlies

Jalen Duren (Memphis)

Age: 18

Position: C

Height: 6'11

Weight: 250

Wingspan: 7'5

Jalen Duren's strength and size can compete with anyone in this class and he has the potential to become an impactful rim runner and shot blocker in the league. Penny Hardaway helped push him to raise his level of play and the 6'11 center averaged 12.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game despite a slow start to his freshman season. Duren will undoubtedly look to develop his offensive game going forward and playing with the Memphis Grizzlies would be the perfect place to do so under the tutelage of guys like Ja Moran and Jaren Jackson Jr.

NBA Comp: Robert Williams (Celtics)

9) San Antonio Spurs

Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)

Age: 19

Position: SG

Height: 6'6

Weight: 210

Wingspan: 6'9

Bennedict Mathurin emerged as the Pac-12 Player of the Year after exploding onto the scene with a number of eye-popping dunks and finishes in the paint. The 6'6 guard is a smooth and slithery slasher that attacks the rim with anger. He is reportedly locked into the lottery and could get picked a few spots higher or lower. The San Antonio Spurs seem just as likely to draft someone with more size like Ousmane Dieng, Jeremy Sochan or Nikola Jović depending on roster needs. Mathurin compiled 17.7 points on 36.9% from beyond the arc.

NBA Comp: Victor Oladipo (Heat)

10) New York Knicks

Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)

Age: 20

Position: SG

Height: 6'5

Weight: 194

Wingspan: 6'8

Johnny Davis didn't look great in an upset loss to Iowa State in the NCAA Tournament but he is a deadly mid-range scorer that could theoretically slide in between Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett in the New York Knicks backcourt. The 6'5 shooting guard had to be a volume shooter as a sophomore since Wisconsin didn't have a lot of offensive weapons and opposing defenses were able to overwhelm him later in the season. Davis won't have to deal with that as a rookie. The Big Ten Player of the Year scored 19.7 points per game including multiple 30-point performances.

NBA Comp: Gary Trent Jr (Raptors)

First Round Projections:

1. Jabari Smith (Magic/PF)

2. Paolo Banchero (Rockets/PF)

3. Chet Holmgren (Pistons/C)

4. Keegan Murray (Thunder/SF)

5. Jaden Ivey (Pacers/PG)

6. Shaedon Sharpe (Trail Blazers/SG)

7. AJ Griffin (Kings/SG)

8. Jalen Duren (Grizzlies/C)

9. Bennedict Mathurin (Spurs/SG)

10. Johnny Davis (Knicks/SG)

11. Kennedy Chandler (Wizards/PG)

12. Jeremy Sochan (Trail Blazers/PF)

13. Ousmane Dieng (Hornets/SF)

14. Nikola Jović (Hawks/SF)

15. Mark Williams (Thunder/C)

16. TyTy Washington (Rockets/PG)

17. Ochai Agbaji (Pacers/SF)

18. Tari Eason (Timberwolves/SF)

19. Dyson Daniels (Bulls/SG)

20. Christian Koloko (Spurs/PF)

21. MarJon Beauchamp (Nuggets/SF)

22. Malaki Branham (Grizzlies/SF)

23. Oscar Tshiebwe (Nets/PF)

24. EJ Liddell (Mavericks/PF)

25. Kendall Brown (Spurs/SF)

26. Blake Wesley (Warriors/PG)

27. Patrick Baldwin Jr (Bucks/SF)

28. Jean Montero (Heat/PG)

29. Jaden Hardy (Grizzlies/SG)

30. Mojave King (Thunder/SG)

Draft order via Tankathon.

Top-100 Prospects:

1. Jabari Smith (Auburn)

2. Paolo Banchero (Duke)

3. Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)

4. Jaden Ivey (Purdue)

5. Keegan Murray (Iowa)

6. Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)

7. Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky)

8. Jalen Duren (Memphis)

9. AJ Griffin (Duke)

10. Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)

11. Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee)

12. Ochai Agbaji (Kansas)

13. Ousmane Dieng (France)

14. TyTy Washington (Kentucky)

15. Jeremy Sochan (Baylor)

16. Nikola Jović (Serbia)

17. Dyson Daniels (G-League)

18. Mark Williams (Duke)

19. Tari Eason (LSU)

20. EJ Liddell (Ohio State)

21. MarJon Beauchamp (G-League)

22. Blake Wesley (Notre Dame)

23. Malaki Branham (Ohio State)

24. Jaden Hardy (G-League)

25. Bryce McGowens (Nebraska)

26. Jean Montero (Overtime Elite)

27. Christian Koloko (Arizona)

28. Mojave King (Australia)

29. Orlando Robinson (Fresno State)

30. Oscar Tshiebwe (Kentucky)

31. JD Davison (Alabama)

32. Wendell Moore (Duke)

33. Kendall Brown (Baylor)

34. Patrick Baldwin Jr (Milwaukee)

35. Michael Foster (G-League)

36. Alondes Williams (Wake Forest)

37. Jamaree Bouyea (San Francisco)

38. Jaylin Williams (Arkansas)

39. Izaiah Brockington (Iowa State)

40. Max Christie (Michigan State)

41. Walker Kessler (Auburn)

42. Christian Braun (Kansas)

43. Kameron McGusty (Miami)

44. Caleb Love (North Carolina)

45. JD Notae (Arkansas)

46. Julian Champagnie (St. John’s)

47. Harrison Ingram (Stanford)

48. David Roddy (Colorado State)

49. Justin Lewis (Marquette)

50. Khalifa Diop (Senegal)

51. Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)

52. Tevin Brown (Murray State)

53. Johnny Juzang (UCLA)

54. Armando Bacot (North Carolina)

54. Keon Ellis (Alabama)

55. Trevor Keels (Duke)

56. Mike Miles (TCU)

57. Jalen Williams (Santa Clara)

58. Dereon Seabron (NC State)

59. Taevion Kinsey (Marshall)

60. Tyrese Hunter (Iowa State)

61. Ryan Rollins (Toledo)

62. Allen Flanigan (Auburn)

63. Josh Minott (Memphis)

64. Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga)

65. Hugo Besson (France)

66. Trevion Williams (Purdue)

67. Scottie Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt)

68. Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State)

69. Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona)

70. Kofi Cockburn (Illinois)

71. Terquavion Smith (NC State)

72. Yannick Nzosa (Congo)

73. Jordan Hall (St. Joseph's)

74. Vince Williams (VCU)

75. Zach Edey (Purdue)

76. Tristan Vukcevic (Serbia)

77. Drew Timme (Gonzaga)

78. Terrence Shannon Jr (Texas Tech)

79. Roko Prkačin (Croatia)

80. Gabe Brown (Michigan State)

81. Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA)

82. Ziga Samar (Spain)

83. Moussa Diabate (Michigan)

84. Brady Manek (North Carolina)

85. Justin Moore (Villanova)

86. Kellan Grady (Kentucky)

87. Ismael Kamagate (France)

88. Julian Strawther (Gonzaga)

89. Gabriele Procida (Italy)

90. Ibou Dianko Badji (Senegal)

91. Peyton Watson (UCLA)

92. Jabari Walker (Colorado)

93. Hyun-Jung Lee (Davidson)

94. Matthew Cleveland (Florida State)

95. Matteo Spagnolo (Italy)

96. Ron Harper Jr (Rutgers)

97. Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest)

98. Caleb Houstan (Michigan)

99. Leonardo Okeke (Italy)

100. Fedor Žugić (Montenegro)

Best International Prospects:

1. Bennedict Mathurin (Canada)

2. Shaedon Sharpe (Canada)

3. Ousmane Dieng (France)

4. Nikola Jović (Serbia)

5. Dyson Daniels (Australia)

6. Christian Koloko (Cameroon)

7. Mojave King (Australia)

8. Oscar Tshiebwe (Congo)

9. Khalifa Diop (Senegal)

10. Hugo Besson (France)

Underrated Prospects:

1. Kennedy Chandler (PG)

2. Ochai Agbaji (SF)

3. Dyson Daniels (SG)

4. Mark Williams (C)

5. Malaki Branham (SF)

6. Bryce McGowens (SG)

7. Orlando Robinson (C)

8. Alondes Williams (SF)

9. Jamaree Bouyea (PG)

10. Khalifa Diop (C)

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Photo Credit: Forbes.