2022 NBA Redraft: Paolo Banchero remains the No. 1 pick in a first-round re-do

How does the rest of the first round pan out after Paolo Banchero in a re-do of the 2022 NBA draft?

The 2022 NBA rookie class had some strong moments on the court; some players showed why they were so highly touted entering the league last season.

The group, overall, proved perhaps deeper than expected as several players had crucial roles for their respective teams. Meanwhile, there were others who struggled to log significant playing time or make a big impact for a variety of reasons.

As a result, some teams are still very happy with their picks from a year ago and wouldn’t change anything. Conversely, there are other teams that would likely welcome a do-over and go in a different direction with their selections from last year.

With that in mind, we took a look at the players and redrafted the class based on what we know after one season. Other factors, such as potential on the court and long-term outlook, were also considered in this early look back at the class.

10 bold preseason predictions revisited from the 2022 NBA draft

Rookie Wire offered 10 bold predictions for the 2022-23 season in October and vowed to come back to see how we did.

Back in October, Rookie Wire offered 10 bold predictions for the 2022-23 season based on the available information and vowed to come back and see how we did.

Well, the time has come to look back and review the results.

We started this exercise prior to the 2019-20 season, which was our inaugural class on Rookie Wire, and we have kept up with it each year since then. Our annual revisit of these bold predictions can serve as a fun way to provide some sort of accountability around here.

This year proved no different.

We once again hit on some of our predictions but fell well short of the mark on others. In our defense, to be fair, we were very close on several of these. We just ask that you go easy on us and don’t alert the authorities at Freezing Cold Takes about the ones we missed badly on.

Here is how we fared last season.

Pistons’ Jaden Ivey ‘wouldn’t be where he is today’ without WNBA players

Ivey respects the women who helped paved the way for him and is forever grateful for the opportunities they have provided him.

Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey is no stranger to women’s basketball.

He is the son of Irish great Niele Ivey, who played five seasons in the WNBA. She was an All-American at Notre Dame and is the head women’s basketball coach at the university.

Jaden grew up with legendary players and at the 2023 ESPNW Summit, he shared what he learned in that environment along with the players who inspired him. He mentioned he wouldn’t be where he was without impactful women like Arike Ogunbowale, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Natalie Achonwa, Jewell Loyd, Jackie Young and his mother, among others.

He shared a unique memory of Ogunbowale.

I could just remember being in the gym with (Ogunbowale) and losing in 1-on-1 games. My mom can remember. I’d sit there at night crying ’cause I couldn’t even beat Arike. She would just bust my tail all the time. I really thank her for inspiring me and putting that strength in me.

Ogunbowale, who is with the Dallas Wings, was a star at Notre Dame where she helped lead the program to its second NCAA title in 2018. Ivey played against her in the gym during her time at Notre Dame.

Ivey also mentioned Diggins-Smith as an impactful woman in his life.

(Diggins-Smith) was an inspiration to a lot of kids in my area in South Bend. A lot of boys and girls looked up to her and I just look at Skylar as just an impactful woman to society because she inspired so many people from where I come from. She busted my tail, too.

Ivey was selected in the 2022 NBA draft as the fifth pick overall by the Pistons. He played college basketball at Purdue and grew up on a WNBA court before he even left the womb. His mother was pregnant with him during her rookie season in the WNBA when she started 26 of 32 games.

When his mother was hired to a coaching position at Notre Dame, young Ivey followed his mother and watched her coach future WNBA stars. Ivey respects the women who helped paved the way for him to be in the NBA and he is forever grateful for the opportunities they have provided him.

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2022 NBA draft: 10 bold rookie predictions for the 2022-23 season

Rookie Wire decided to put on our thinking caps and predict the future with 10 bold predictions for the upcoming season.

The 2022-23 regular season officially tipped off in the NBA on Tuesday as four teams hit the court to much fanfare in front of a national audience on TNT.

The Golden State Warriors proved to be the team to beat as defending champions after making easy work of the Los Angeles Lakers. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics showed little signs of any inner turmoil with an impressive win over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Of course, there will be plenty of other storylines to follow in each conference as the season progresses. Several teams figure to be in the playoff picture after a busy offseason while others will continue to develop and progress in their respective rebuilding efforts.

The incoming rookie class also figures to be worth monitoring, as well.

The group was dealt an unfortunate injury to No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren, who will miss the entire season, but the class figures to be entertaining to watch. Some players have already put themselves on the map after a strong exhibition run.

Rookie Wire decided to put on our thinking caps and predict the future. We made 10 bold predictions for the class and offered an opinion on what we might see this season. To make this exercise fun, we will come back at the end of the season and see how we did.

Here is how we fared last season. We didn’t do particularly well.

Magic ink No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero to rookie contract

The former Duke forward becomes the first known draftee to sign his rookie contract.

On Friday, the Orlando Magic announced that they signed No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero, becoming one of the first known draftees to ink his rookie scale contract.

He will earn $9,212,600 next season as the top pick.

Banchero was an All-American last season at Duke after averaging 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals. He is the fifth Blue Devils player to become the No. 1 pick in the NBA and the first since Zion Williamson in 2019.

The 19-year-old was among the three front-runners to be the first pick, along with Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren and Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. The team ultimately felt as though Banchero was the top college player in the country last season and drafted accordingly.

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The 6-foot-10, 250-pound forward has the size and physicality that should translate well to the Magic. He is highly touted for his versatility and ability to affect games on both ends of the floor, something the Magic were enamored with.

Banchero will join a Magic roster with several up-and-coming players, including Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner. The group will be tasked next season with improving under second-year head coach Jamahl Mosley.

He will play in the Las Vegas Summer League starting on July 7.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Lakers sign rookies Pippen, Swider to two-way contracts

The Lakers have signed Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cole Swider to two-way contracts ahead of summer league.

The Los Angeles Lakers on Friday announced that they signed Vanderbilt guard Scotty Pippen Jr. and Syracuse forward Cole Swider to two-way contracts.

The two players each went undrafted this year.

Pippen, who was named to the All-SEC first team, averaged 20.4 points, 4.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds in 36 games as a junior last season. He led the conference in scoring and was the first SEC player to average 20 points in back-to-back seasons since 1996.

Swider posted averages of 13.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists and one steal as a senior. He shot 41.1% from 3-point range on six attempts per game and ranked eighth in the ACC with 81 makes.

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Pippen and Swider will each split their time between L.A. and the South Bay Lakers in the NBA G League. They are eligible to spend no more than 50 games in the NBA and will earn a flat salary equal to 50% of the minimum salary applicable to a player with zero years of service.

They are each expected to be with the Lakers during the California Classic in San Francisco and Las Vegas Summer League beginning on July 8.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Nuggets draftee Christian Braun credits mother for competitive spirit

Braun played with tremendous energy and competitive spirit at Kansas, and will be looking to bring those traits to the Nuggets.

Christian Braun played with tremendous energy and competitive spirit over his three seasons at Kansas, and the 21st pick will be looking to bring those traits to the Denver Nuggets.

Braun averaged 14.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists and one steal in 40 games to help Kansas win the national title last season. He became the 65th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points and the 20th under head coach Bill Self.

The 21-year-old often brought an infectious playing style with energy and effort to the Jayhawks. He credited that fire to his mother, Lisa, who was a three-time All-Big Eight Conference selection in basketball at Missouri from 1987-91.

He spoke about his spirit as the Nuggets introduced him this week.

I’m just a super competitive person no matter what it is but, on the basketball court, I like to bring a certain personality and a certain passion to the teams I play on. (I probably) get it from my mother. She is the toughest person in my family so I would say that is probably who I get it from. I’m just a super competitive person and I think that toughness and personality is the way I like to show that.

Braun was viewed as perhaps one of the most athletic players in the draft. He had the third-highest max vertical at the combine (40 inches) and excelled in several other on-court drills. He is looking to use that, along with his versatility, on the defensive end of the floor.

I think I can guard multiple positions and I think that is very important right now. You see a lot of teams doing a lot of switching so I’m a guy that is pretty versatile and willing to do those things. I think that is the biggest part of all of it is just being willing.

The Nuggets were said to be very high on Braun during the pre-draft process. There are some holes he can help fill in the second unit, especially as a 3-and-D prospect. He will certainly have to earn his playing time on a team built to win now, but he appears to be up for the task.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Paolo Banchero shoots his shot, tries hand at recruiting Kevin Durant

Banchero has only been with the Magic for a week, but the No. 1 pick is already putting in work as a recruiter.

Paolo Banchero has only been a member of the Orlando Magic for a week, but the No. 1 overall pick is already putting in the work to help the team off the court.

Banchero became the latest player in the NBA to jump in on the recruiting efforts of Kevin Durant, who reportedly requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. The request came after three seasons with the team and just hours before the start of free agency.

Durant is said to be most intrigued with the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns as potential destinations but that didn’t stop Banchero from trying anyway. He took to Instagram to give Durant his pitch, via Orlando Magic Daily.

The Nets are expected to move Durant to the team that can present the best offer and have reportedly already heard from a dozen teams around the league. He enters the first year of a four-year contract next season that will pay him $198 million.

Despite the efforts of Banchero, the Magic have basically no chance of landing him. However, you have to respect the hustle of Banchero to try anyway. We love the courage!

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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‘I can flourish with this team’: MarJon Beauchamp excited to join Bucks

Beauchamp expressed his excitement to learn from the likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton among others.

On the night of June 23, Jon Beauchamp saw how the draft board was filling out and anxiously wanted his son to fall to the Milwaukee Bucks with the 24th pick.

He got his wish as MarJon was eventually announced as the pick.

What followed next was perhaps the best moment of the evening as MarJon immediately burst into tears surrounded by his family at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. He was still wiping away tears on his way to the stage to meet NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

The emotions were a result of his long path to reach this point.

He attended Chameleon BX after high school, which is a personalized training program in San Francisco, California. After six months, he went to Yakima Valley College and put his name on the map, averaging 30.7 points, 10.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.

Beauchamp then parlayed that success into an offer to join the NBA G League Ignite in their second season. He quickly climbed up draft boards with the Ignite and solidified himself as a first-round pick.

“It is a blessing to be in a winning situation and a winning team because I’m a winner,” Beauchamp said this week. “I want to win, too. I’m excited to learn and grow with this team. I feel like I can flourish with this team because I’m a faster learner and I want to learn. I was super excited when I got drafted here.”

The Bucks value the versatility Beauchamp can play with and his understanding of the game. They believe he can fill quite a few needs on the roster, something Beauchamp is eager to prove and work toward in the coming months.

Beauchamp averaged 15.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, two assists and 1.5 steals in 24 games with the Ignite. He possesses great athleticism and believes he can guard nearly every position on the court.

I’m a young, energy wing so I can come in and defend and defend the best players and give it my all. I know there is a lot of attention on Giannis (Antetokounmpo) and I feel like I can knock down that 3-ball in the corner — I’ve been working on it. I feel like the fastbreak transitions, I can flourish there.

The 21-year-old is eager to get into the gym and begin the transition to the NBA. In addition to Antetokounmpo, Beauchamp can’t wait to work with the likes of Jrue Holiday and Khris Middleton and pick their brains on various topics.

Beauchamp is a relatively unknown name to the majority of the basketball community but is poised to change that in the coming months and years in Milwaukee. Based on his journey to this point, it may be worth keeping an eye on him.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Warriors’ Ryan Rollins diagnosed with stress fracture in foot

Rollins was diagnosed with a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot.

Golden State Warriors draftee Ryan Rollins on Wednesday was diagnosed with a stress fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot, the team announced.

The Warriors discovered the injury during his onboarding medical evaluation prior to the start of the California Classic on July 2. He was ruled out playing and will be reevaluated following the conclusion of the Las Vegas Summer League.

Rollins, the 44th pick last week, averaged 18.9 points, six rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals in 34 games as a sophomore last season at Toledo. His 641 points were the third-most in program history as he became the fourth player to reach at least 1,000 points in two seasons.

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Rollins was among those players named to the Warriors’ summer league roster, along with fellow draft pick Patrick Baldwin Jr. Warriors roster players Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and James Wiseman were also listed.

The injury to Rollins comes as the soon-to-be 20-year-old was set to participate in summer league and begin to make a case to earn a place on the roster next season. He is not a lock to make the team, as a second-round pick, and his status moving forward is unclear.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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