NBA Draft 2022: Which first round draft picks recieved the best grades?
The 2022 NBA Draft has finally surpassed us, and it wasn’t a night without surprises. Not a lot of veterans were traded, the Knicks didn’t move up to make a big splash, but rather out of the lottery entirely. But, there were a handful of trades within the first round, and the order shook it may be a bit differently than expected. Overall though, I have few complaints about the picks made and think the teams did a good job. here are my first-round grades.
1. Orlando Magic: Paolo Banchero- Forward – Duke
Grade: B+
In a shocking turn of events, Banchero surpassed Jabari Smith as the leader for the No. 1 pick just minutes before the draft began. Banchero is the most polished offensive player in this class and can step in from day one and be a lead ball-handler and scorer. His three-point shooting waned, and I worry about the defense, but he’s surrounded by two good front-court defenders. His combination of size and creation is a unique blend that has been compared to Julius Randle.
I preferred Smith to Banchero so that’s why this isn’t an A for me. But with Jalen Suggs’ struggles last year, the Magic could use a dominant alpha scorer. I think Smith would have gotten there down the line, and ultimately ends up the better pro, but it’s hard to fault them too much for taking the player that is the best right now.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder: Chet Holmgren – Forward – Gonzaga
Grade: A
The usually tight-lipped Thunder has long been believed the landing spot for the lanky Gonzaga forward. Holmgren’s mix of rim protection and shooting make a lot of sense here. He’s a polarizing prospect. His lack of weight is over-scrutinized at this point. Yes, he’s skinny. But Holmgren is and will be a very good rim protector. He’s got elite length and instincts that he uses to reject shots. He will get targeted and dislodged a bit, but Holmgren has the technicality as a protector to make up for it and recover.
It’s the offense where I am unsure of the upside. He doesn’t create his own shot well and his dribbling isn’t as functional as some think. But, he’s going to a spot where he won’t be asked to create too much with two young primary ball-handlers in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey.
3. Houston Rockets: Jabari Smith – Forward – Auburn
Grade: A+
Smith falling to three is a huge surprise and massive win for the Rockets, even though they were believed to have preferred Paolo Banchero. Smith is the youngest of the top three prospects, the best shooter, a better defender than Banchero, and was incredibly productive despite his flaws. At 6’10 with nearly perfect mechanics, Smith isn’t a great ball-handler, making it harder for him to create for himself and others. But, I think he can develop into a creator, especially when he adds strength and can back guys down.
Even though Banchero was preferred, I actually like Smith’s fit better in Houston, especially with Alpereen Sengun in the frontcourt given Smith’s defense. Jalen Green showed some growth as a playmaker down the stretch of his rookie year and could be good for Smith’s development early on. Smith doesn’t turn 19 until August so I don’t expect him to light the world on fire from the jump, meaning Houston can enter the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes next year. Nonetheless, the Rockets got the number one player on my board at three, so I love it.
4. Sacramento Kings: Keegan Murray – Forward – Iowa
Grade: C+
Another minor surprise, the Kings elected for one of the more ready-now players in Murray. He’s an athletic four-man, who despite having a high-usage rate and scoring over 21 points per game, doesn’t need the ball to score. He can be a low-usage player, thriving off of cuts, running the floor, and spot-up shooting. He improved tremendously as a shooter his sophomore season, showing real versatility as a sophomore.
Jaden Ivey was my top-prospect left on the board pretty clearly. Sacramento seemed hung up on Ivey’s reluctance to want to play there as well as a potential overlap with De’Aaron Fox. Trading Tyrese Haliburton for Domantas Sabonis signals the Kings are looking to “win-now” and Murray is one of the more NBA-ready players in the class. I understand it in theory, I just think Ivey’s upside outweighs all of that.
5. Detroit Pistons: Jaden Ivey – Guard – Purdue
Grade: A+
The Pistons get their back-court pairing for Cade Cunningham in Ivey. He’s the best athlete in the class. His standstill burst is incredibly fast and he’s an elite leaper. Ivey can play a little on the ball, a little bit off it which meshes well with Cunningham. There are concerns over the shot, but with a true creator next to him creating him open looks, I buy it. The spacing in general will be much better for him, opening up the paint as a slasher. His defensive intensity waned and he should be better with his tools, so there’s low-hanging fruit and in terms of fit, Cunningham has the size to guard both backcourt spots.
Ivey was the No. 3 prospect on my board and is a seamless fit with Detroit, so I like this pick.