Busting Brackets
Fansided

Duke Basketball: Analyzing where all 5 players went in 2022 NBA Draft

By Tristan Freeman

NEW YORK, NY, USA - JUNE 23: Mark Williams (C), Paolo Banchero (L) and Malaki Branham (R) pose for photos with his family during the 2022 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2022 in New York City, (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY, USA - JUNE 23: Mark Williams (C), Paolo Banchero (L) and Malaki Branham (R) pose for photos with his family during the 2022 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2022 in New York City, (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
NBA Draft
AJ Griffin NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) /

AJ Griffin – No. 16 pick to the Atlanta Hawks

One of the biggest mysteries among the projected top-20 picks was Griffin, who was injured or coming off the bench for the first half of last season. Once he was inserted into the starting lineup midway, the 6’6 wing had a number of big outings thanks to his shooting potential.

On the season, Griffin shot 45% from three-point range, making him a prime “3 and D” candidate. Of course, he didn’t showcase a ton of that defensive potential but one could blame him coming off of the knee injuries. His offensive potential is what Atlanta wants most, being another shooter that superstar point guard Trae Young can play off of.

What’s interesting about this pick is the future of the “wing” position. Last season, the Hawks traded Cam Reddish to the New York Knicks instead of paying him. And they still have the likes of Bogdan Bogdanović, DeAndre Hunter, and Kevin Huerter, all of whom have decisions to be made.

Williams is likely to only play the small forward position so he can find some minutes early on with Atlanta. How big his role ultimately will depend on whether his defense improves, the shooting stays elite and what the franchise does with other key pieces on the roster.

Home/Duke Blue Devils