NBA Draft 2022: Draft grades for all 1st round pick selections

7. Portland Trailblazers – G Shaedon Sharpe (Kentucky Wildcats) – Draft Grade: A

It’s a risk, taking a player in Sharpe that hasn’t played meaningful basketball in over 16 months. But the 6’6 guard has incredible potential and Portland, who may be on its last legs in the Damien Lillard era, needs to find a second star somewhere to get back into the Western Conference playoff mix. If this pick works out, the Blazers won’t have to start the dreaded rebuild.

8. New Orleans Pelicans – G Dyson Daniels (NBA G League) – Draft Grade: B+

Daniels may not have the best offensive game at the moment but the big guard projects to be a good defender at the next level. And that’s what the Pelicans need, as they already have CJ McCollum, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson back for next season. If Daniels can simply improve the team’s defensive numbers, that’ll make him one of the more impactful rookies, regardless of his offensive numbers.

9. San Antonio Spurs – F Jeremy Sochan (Baylor Bears) – Draft Grade: B-

The former Baylor forward certainly fills a need for the Spurs in the frontcourt but I wonder if they were better off taking one of the centers or guards, based on what they did later on in the first round. In the top-10, Sochan is decent value but his ceiling compared to those taken after him makes it an okay but not earth-shattering selection.