NBA: 2022 Mock Draft 2.0

#1 Orlando Magic

Jabari Smith (Auburn)

Age: 19

Height: 6'10

Weight: 220

Wingspan: 7'1

Jabari Smith is likely the most NBA-ready prospect in the 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 an ultra-talented and versatile forward in Smith with promising young players Wendell Carter, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner.

NBA Comp: Michael Porter (Nuggets)

#2 Oklahoma City Thunder

Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)

Age: 19

Position: C

Height: 7'0

Weight: 195

Wingspan: 7'6

Chet Holmgren easily 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 Oklahoma City Thunder could look to add Smith or Paolo Banchero but the Bulldogs big man is definitely worth the risk in my opinion. 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)

#3 Houston Rockets

Paolo Banchero (Duke)

Age: 19

Position: PF

Height: 6'10

Weight: 250

Wingspan: 7'0

Paolo Banchero is still in consideration to be the #1 pick and certainly saw his stock rise on the biggest stage at the Final Four in early April. 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 decide to take a guard or wing to pair with Jalen Green but the Duke freshman is a safer selection after scoring 18.8 points and shooting 50% from the field during the NCAA Tournament run.

NBA Comp: Julius Randle (Knicks)

#4 Sacramento Kings

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 NBA Draft. There's no doubt his athleticism will translate to the league but it may take a little time given his age and relative inexperience. If the Sacramento Kings decide to add wing depth, Sharpe could slide in alongside De'Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell.

NBA Comp: Jalen Green (Rockets)

#5 Detroit Pistons

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 Cade Cunningham if the Detroit Pistons 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 a team-high 17.9 points 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) Indiana Pacers

Keegan Murray (Iowa)

Age: 21

Position: SF

Height: 6'8

Weight: 225

Wingspan: 6'11

Keegan Murray went from basically 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 easily breaking the Big Ten Tournament scoring record and led the conference with 23.5 points on 55.4% shooting from the field. The Indiana Pacers were hoping to move into the top-5 during the draft lottery but Murray is a dynamic consolation prize to pair with Tyrese Haliburton.

NBA Comp: Tobias Harris (76ers)

7) Portland Trail Blazers

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 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 offense going forward and playing with the Portland Trail Blazers would be the perfect place to do so with the tutelage of guys like Damian Lillard and Jusuf Nurkić.

NBA Comp: Robert Williams (Celtics)

8) New Orleans Pelicans

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. The New Orleans Pelicans could go in multiple directions after trading for CJ McCollum at the trade deadline and it would make sense for the front office to add low-usage scorers since Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson are going to be the main shot creators. Griffin doesn't have the same athleticism that others do but his shooting prowess has put him in the mix to be a top-10 pick. New Orleans needs more spacing and Griffin would definitely bring that.

NBA Comp: Dillon Brooks (Grizzlies)

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, Nikola Jović or Jeremy Sochan depending on who their scouting department prefers. Mathurin compiled 17.7 points on 36.9% from beyond the arc last season.

NBA Comp: Victor Oladipo (Heat)

10) Washington Wizards

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 behind Brady Beal in the Wizards 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 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 several 30-point showings and should continue to be a consistent defender going forward.

NBA Comp: Gary Trent Jr (Raptors)

First Round Projections:

1. Jabari Smith (Magic/PF)

2. Chet Holmgren (Thunder/C)

3. Paolo Banchero (Rockets/PF)

4. Shaedon Sharpe (Kings/SG)

5. Jaden Ivey (Pistons/PG)

6. Keegan Murray (Pacers/SF)

7. Jalen Duren (Trail Blazers/C)

8. AJ Griffin (Pelicans/SG)

9. Bennedict Mathurin (Spurs/SG)

10. Johnny Davis (Wizards/SG)

11. Jeremy Sochan (Knicks/PF)

12. Ousmane Dieng (Thunder/SF)

13. Nikola Jović (Hornets/SF)

14. Malaki Branham (Cavaliers/SF)

15. Dyson Daniels (Hornets/PG)

16. TyTy Washington (Hawks/PG)

17. Kennedy Chandler (Rockets/PG)

18. Ochai Agbaji (Bulls/SF)

19. Tari Eason (Timberwolves/SF)

20. Mark Williams (Spurs/C)

21. MarJon Beauchamp (Nuggets/SF)

22. Christian Koloko (Grizzlies/PF)

23. Kendall Brown (Nets/SF)

24. Blake Wesley (Bucks/PG)

25. Mojave King (Spurs/SG)

26. Bryce McGowens (Mavericks/SG)

27. Michael Foster (Heat/PF)

28. Orlando Robinson (Warriors/C)

29. JD Davison (Grizzlies/SF)

30. Jaden Hardy (Thunder/SG)

Draft order via NBA Draft.

Top-100 Prospects:

1. Jabari Smith (Auburn)

2. Paolo Banchero (Duke)

3. Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)

4. Jaden Ivey (Purdue)

5. Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky)

6. Keegan Murray (Iowa)

7. Bennedict Mathurin (Arizona)

8. Jalen Duren (Memphis)

9. AJ Griffin (Duke)

10. Johnny Davis (Wisconsin)

11. Ochai Agbaji (Kansas)

12. Ousmane Dieng (France)

13. Nikola Jović (Serbia)

14. Dyson Daniels (G-League)

15. Malaki Branham (Ohio State)

16. Mark Williams (Duke)

17. Jeremy Sochan (Baylor)

18. Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee)

19. TyTy Washington (Kentucky)

20. Tari Eason (LSU)

21. EJ Liddell (Ohio State)

22. MarJon Beauchamp (G-League)

23. Blake Wesley (Notre Dame)

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. JD Davison (Alabama)

31. Wendell Moore (Duke)

32. Kendall Brown (Baylor)

33. Patrick Baldwin Jr (Milwaukee)

34. Michael Foster (G-League)

35. Alondes Williams (Wake Forest)

36. Jamaree Bouyea (San Francisco)

37. Jaylin Williams (Arkansas)

38. Izaiah Brockington (Iowa State)

39. Walker Kessler (Auburn)

40. Christian Braun (Kansas)

41. Ryan Rollins (Toledo)

42. Leonard Miller (Canada)

43. Khalifa Diop (Senegal)

44. Kameron McGusty (Miami)

45. JD Notae (Arkansas)

46. Julian Champagnie (St. John’s)

47. Harrison Ingram (Stanford)

48. Justin Lewis (Marquette)

49. Jalen Williams (Santa Clara)

50. Trevor Keels (Duke)

51. David Roddy (Colorado State)

52. Max Christie (Michigan State)

53. Keon Ellis (Alabama)

54. Dereon Seabron (NC State)

55. Taevion Kinsey (Marshall)

56. Isaiah Mobley (USC)

57. Tyrese Hunter (Iowa State)

58. Hugo Besson (France)

59. Trayce Jackson-Davis (Indiana)

60. Mike Miles (TCU)

61. Allen Flanigan (Auburn)

62. Josh Minott (Memphis)

63. Andrew Nembhard (Gonzaga)

64. Trevion Williams (Purdue)

65. Scottie Pippen Jr. (Vanderbilt)

66. Johnny Juzang (UCLA)

67. Jordan Hall (St. Joseph's)

68. Iverson Molinar (Mississippi State)

69. Moussa Diabate (Michigan)

70. Azuolas Tubelis (Arizona)

71. Terquavion Smith (NC State)

72. Yannick Nzosa (Congo)

73. Vince Williams (VCU)

74. Jared Rhoden (Seton Hall)

75. Caleb Houstan (Michigan)

76. Tristan Vukcevic (Serbia)

77. Gabriele Procida (Italy)

78. Roko Prkačin (Croatia)

79. Ismael Kamagate (France)

80. Jaime Jaquez Jr. (UCLA)

81. Ziga Samar (Spain)

82. Will Richardson (Oregon)

83. Dominick Barlow (Overtime Elite)

84. Hyun-Jung Lee (Davidson)

85. Marcus Bingham (Michigan State)

86. Tyrese Martin (UConn)

87. Ibou Dianko Badji (Senegal)

88. Jabari Walker (Colorado)

89. Brady Manek (North Carolina)

90. Ron Harper Jr (Rutgers)

91. Colin Gillespie (Villanova)

92. Kellan Grady (Kentucky)

93. Drew Timme (Gonzaga)

94. Kofi Cockburn (Illinois)

95. Peyton Watson (UCLA)

96. Matteo Spagnolo (Italy)

97. Jake LaRavia (Wake Forest)

98. Leonardo Okeke (Italy)

99. Eli Brooks (Michigan)

100. Fedor Žugić (Montenegro)

Best International Prospects:

1. Shaedon Sharpe (Canada)

2. Bennedict Mathurin (Canada)

3. Ousmane Dieng (France)

4. Nikola Jović (Serbia)

5. Dyson Daniels (Australia)

6. Christian Koloko (Cameroon)

7. Mojave King (Australia)

8. Leonard Miller (Canada)

9. Khalifa Diop (Senegal)

10. Hugo Besson (France)

Underrated Prospects:

1. Dyson Daniels (PG)

2. Malaki Branham (SF)

3. Ochai Agbaji (SF)

4. Mark Williams (C)

5. Blake Wesley (PG)

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.