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The day after the 2020 NBA Draft, November 19, 2020, I predicted that Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, Scottie Barnes, Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Kuminga would be among the first seven players selected in the 2021 NBA Draft. .
Then they all became the top seven picks.
So this is the latest evidence that suggests it’s never really too early to anticipate the next NBA Draft.
Believe it or not, the front offices already have a pretty good idea of which players will be considered in the lottery next June, as they assess most of the elite prospects of the 2021 class, to varying degrees, For years. So with that in mind, what’s below is a first look at how the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery could play out. In my opinion, this should be a draft that is again dominated at the top by US-based prospects just a year out of high school, just as the 2021 NBA Draft was dominated at the top by US-based prospects. – United only one year from the top school – namely Cunningham (n ° 1), Green (n ° 2), Mobley (n ° 3), Barnes (n ° 4), Suggs (n ° 5), Kuminga (n No. 7), Ziaire Williams (No. 10), Joshua Primo (No. 12) and Moses Moody (No. 14).
(Note: The draft order is defined by the updated SportsLine projected records for NBA teams for next season.)
1. Thunder: Paolo Banchero (Duke)
I first saw Paolo Banchero in person two years ago at a USA Basketball event in Colorado Springs, where he was already so big and strong and overwhelming as a coach of a college program in the top five. Premiers told me that the 6-10 striker could start for him. so even though the Seattle native had just finished his sophomore year of high school. Since then, Banchero has grown even bigger and stronger, more skilled and more versatile, and it’s easy to imagine him being the first player selected in this draft after a season playing for Mike Krzyzewski at Duke.
2. Magic: Chet Holmgren (Gonzaga)
Chet Holmgren has been one of the more unique applicants to enter college for several years, given that he is a 7ft rim protector who is also extremely comfortable and efficient in playing with the ball in his hands on the perimeter. The questions about his lean body and how much he will fill at the next level are legitimate – but the talent is so undeniable that he is the biggest threat to replace Banchero at the top of this draft after spending a season helping Mark Few try to winning Gonzaga’s first national championship.
3. Pistons: Jaden Hardy (G League Ignite)
Jaden Hardy is planning as the next G League Ignite product to bounce back in the lottery the same way Green and Kuminga just did. He’s a 6-4 bucket-getter who can pull comfortably from 24 feet and would be electric alongside a tall and gifted point guard like Cade Cunningham.
4. Riders: Caleb Houstan (Michigan)
Caleb Houstan’s decision to retire last summer saw him enroll this summer in Michigan, where he will play on the wing in a starting lineup anchored by All-American Hunter Dickinson. The 6-8 Canadian is considered a top 3-and-D prospect thanks to his already exceptional catch and shot ability that would complement the skills Evan Mobley brings to the franchise.
5. Spurs: Patrick Baldwin Jr. (Milwaukee)
Patrick Baldwin Jr. is the NBA franchise type of long shot makers and shot makers. The fact that he is also the son of a coach, and that he basically doesn’t risk doing anything other than dominating while playing for his father in the Horizon League, are two more assets that should give him a chance to stand out. rank among the top five.
6. Rockets: Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee)
Kennedy Chandler is a traditional playmaker (with incredible speed and grips) whose team always seems to win – in high school, on the base circuit, and with USA Basketball. He’s a little short, but it wouldn’t matter much to play next to a big goalie like Jalen Green in Houston.
7. Kings: Adrian Griffin (Duke)
Duke is expected to go from zero lottery picks in the 2021 NBA Draft to multiple lottery picks in the 2022 NBA Draft due to the presence of Banchero and AJ Griffin, the latter being the son of Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin. It’s a 6-6 wing with incredible physical tools that allow it to easily maintain multiple positions.
8. Hornets: Jabari Smith (Auburn)
It is better in the modern NBA that all prospects are competent shooters who can keep the ground wide apart. This is one of the reasons Jabari Smith is projecting himself into the top 10, and he should be formidable in one season at Auburn, where he will create a super talented frontcourt with his former five-star colleague Walker Kessler.
9. Wood Wolves: Peyton Watson (UCLA)
Peyton Watson is an athletic wing with great length who can fly in transition and hold multiple positions. His UCLA registration is one of the reasons Mick Cronin has a real chance to guide the Bruins to a second straight Final Four before Watson bounces back in the NBA, where he would fit in well playing on the perimeter at side of the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft (Anthony Edwards).
10. Pelicans: TyTy Washington (Kentucky)
Kentucky got stuck last season without the kind of top playmaker John Calipari used to make four Final Fours in 12 years with the Wildcats. But things will get back to normal this season with the enlistment of TyTy Washington, a 6-3 point guard who can create for himself and others and shoot reliably in a way that would benefit any player in the game. main ball playing with Zion Williamson. .
11. Pacers: JD Davison (Alabama)
JD Davison is the potential playmaker in this draft most likely to dunk on a taller opponent as Grizzlies star Ja Morant sometimes does. Assuming he performs as expected in Alabama, he will likely be Nate Oats’ second consecutive lottery pick and someone who could be a nice backcourt addition for Indiana.
12. Raptors: Yannick Nzosa (Congo)
Yannick Nzosa will likely be the first non-university / international player selected in this draft. The 6-11 center, who is still only 17, has a chance to be special defensively, and in general, although most things offensively remain a work in progress.
13. Wizards: Nikola Jovic (Serbia)
Nikola Jovic is a 6-10 Serb who has real tip skills that allow him to pass most hopes his size and age cannot. He’s spent the last year becoming a legitimate 3-point threat as well, which is obviously another valuable skill that could help the Wizards in what could then be the post-Brad Beal era.
14. Grizzly Bears: Jalen Duren (N / A)
Listeners to the Eye On College Basketball podcast probably know I’m a little lower on Jalen Duren than most, mainly because, from an NBA perspective, he can reasonably be described as an undersized center that doesn’t not much far from the basket, at least not at this stage of its development. But in some situations, that might not be the biggest deal, and playing Memphis alongside a big all-rounder like Jaren Jackson Jr. is one of those situations that could maximize Duren, who is expected to be happening soon. Reclassify from Class of 2022 and become eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft.
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