NBA Draft 2022: Which first round draft picks recieved the best grades?

11. Oklahoma City Thunder (Trade via New York Knicks): Ousmane Dieng – Forward – New Zealand Breakers
Grade: C-

This was originally the Knicks pick, which they traded out of for three 2023 first-round picks.

All three are protected, but this is still terrific value for the Knicks who didn’t have a great choice here. For the Thunder, I’m torn. Three firsts is a lot in a vacuum, but they have a multitude of picks to give away and have been rumored to have loved Dieng for a while now. He’s a raw prospect, who needs time to develop, but the Thunder have the runway to give him time.

He’s got some positional size and showed flashes of pull-up shooting and playmaking. But it’s very raw right now and his down year in the NBL doesn’t bode well historically for NBA success. He’s boom or bust, which is a philosophy the Thunder have drafted on for years now, but I still think giving up three firsts to get him was too much.

12. Oklahoma City Thunder: Jalen Williams – Wing – Santa Clara
Grade: B

The positive note about the trade with the Knicks was that the Thunder were able to retain the 12th pick here. Williams had a massive riser throughout the pre-draft process, and that ultimately got him to the lottery. After not paying much attention to him during the year, Williams impressed me in my late-season binge.  He is a good playmaker at his size, especially in the pick-and-roll. He can handle a bit, especially off of OKC’s guards creating slanted defenses. He should space the floor as a shooter too, and while he’s not overly quick as an athlete, he’s an elite screen navigator with a 7’2 wingspan to help.

It’s never a bad thing to stack up on wings and while I had Adrian Griffin Jr. higher on my board, Williams has a more well-rounded game and less injury risk.

13. Detroit Pistons (Trade Via Charlotte Hornets) Jalen Duren – Center – Memphis
Grade: A-

The Pistons had to take on Kemba Walker’s salary from the Knicks to move into the back half of the lottery and select their center of the future in Duren. Having Ivey and Cade Cunningham in the backcourt, Duren is a great fit with his lob-catching ability. Duren is still a bit raw and looked undersized in person to me, but is a great athlete vertically, which will help him protect the rim. I’m not a believer in his shooting and his passing had some flashes but needs improvement, But Detroit can let him play through mistakes and grow. He’s got two guards that create looks for him and this is a win all around, especially given they didn’t have to give up much to acquire him.

14. Cleveland Cavaliers: Ochai Agbaji – Wing – Kansas
Grade: B-

With some good young pieces at the guard position, the Cavs predictably went wing here. I would have preferred AJ Griffin or Malaki Branham here, but Agbaji is the more veteran of the three and seems more ready to contribute next year. The Cavs were likely looking to get a bit better next year as they try to advance further in the playoffs.

Agbaji isn’t overly tall for a wing, but has a good frame and is a good leaper. He doesn’t do a ton off the bounce (though he won’t be asked to do much) and isn’t the best playmaker when attacking closeouts. He needs to shoot it as he did as a senior and not the previous three years, but that’s feasible. As long as he hits shots, he can contribute as a rookie on the wing.

15. Charlotte Hornets: Mark Williams – Center – Duke
Grade: A-

In need of a center, Charlotte nabbed Williams here. He’s a ginormous rim-protector, who can cover a lot of ground on the floor and excel as a drop defender. He doesn’t pass or shoot at all, but we’ve seen players of his mold play 20-30 minutes a game as a lob-finisher and stick in the league for a while. That seems to be Williams’ long-term outcome and joining LaMelo Ball is the ideal type of passer who can maximize him. I generally don’t love limited centers when crafting a big board, but the fit was too seamless here.