Tag: 2022 nba draft

2022 NBA draft race: March 31 update for Rockets, Nets picks

With losses on Wednesday night, the Rockets (20-57) and Magic remain tied at the top in the intense race for 2022 NBA draft positioning.

With Houston owning one of the NBA’s worst records, the 2022 playoffs are already off the table for the Rockets. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to still watch for in the final two weeks of the 2021-22 season.

Until the regular season’s conclusion on April 10, we’re regularly updating where the Rockets stand in relation to their closest competitors in the race for 2022 NBA draft lottery odds and positioning.

Houston owns two picks in this year’s first round: Their own, and one from Brooklyn. For purposes of these updates, we’re going to focus on teams (at the time of publication) within three games in either direction of both the Rockets and Nets in the standings.

After a second straight season at the bottom of the West, will the Rockets land another elite prospect such as Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith or Paolo Banchero for their troubles? Scroll on for the latest updates as of March 31, along with information on odds and tiebreaker scenarios.

Boston Celtics select 3-and-D small forward in new Bleacher Report mock draft

We approve of this projected selection for Boston in the second round.

For most of us, it is far too soon to start thinking about the 2022 NBA draft with the playoffs yet to even begin. But for draft experts, no time is too early, and Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman has already prognosticated a full, two-round mock draft that has a player in mind for the Boston Celtics’ sole selection in the 2022 draft.

With the team playing as well as they have in the second half of the 2021-22 NBA season, they’ll be selecting fairly late in the second round — here, B/R sees the Celtics selecting 56th overall. With that pick, Wasserman sees Boston going for Rutgers small forward Ron Harper, Jr.  “Improved three-point shooting to 39.8 percent has helped Harper enter the draft discussion,” suggests Wasserman of the son of the former Chicago Bulls great.

“There is enough belief in his IQ, maturity, and impact that a spot-up jumper may be all he needs to stick,” he adds.

The 6-foot-6 wing is a solid bet that late in the draft, and his shooting and low turnover rate suggest he has real upside as a potential rotation player at the NBA level.

This post originally appeared on Celtics Wire. Follow us on Facebook!

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Stanford forward Harrison Ingram declares for 2022 NBA draft

Ingram was one of just two true freshmen in the country to average at least 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Stanford freshman Harrison Ingram on Wednesday announced that he will declare for the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining his remaining collegiate eligibility.

Ingram, who was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, averaged 10.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and three assists in 32 games. He was one of just two true freshmen in the country (Paolo Banchero, Duke) to average at least 10 points, six rebounds and three assists.

The 6-foot-7 forward is considered to be a possible first-round pick that will bring good size to the next level at 230 pounds. He has displayed good court vision, often making the right reads, and will be able to handle the ball some in the NBA.

Ingram will have the opportunity to participate in private workouts with teams to help improve his draft stock. He also figures to be a strong candidate to earn an invitation to the draft combine or NBA G League Elite Camp in May.

He isn’t viewed as the most athletic player in the draft and there are concerns with his shooting after converting on 31.3% of his attempts from 3-point range. However, Ingram will not turn 20 until November and still has plenty of room to grow.

The early-entry withdrawal deadline for underclassmen is June 1.

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

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Notre Dame guard Blake Wesley has made a decision on his future

Wesley was the only true freshman in the nation to record at least 450 points, 100 rebounds, 75 assists, 50 3-pointers and 39 steals.

Notre Dame freshman Blake Wesley on Wednesday told Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he will declare for the 2022 NBA draft and will likely forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility.

Wesley, who was named to the All-ACC second team, averaged 14.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.3 steals in 35 games on 47.1% shooting from the field. He was the only true freshman in the nation to record at least 450 points, 100 rebounds, 75 assists, 50 3s and 39 steals.

The 6-foot-5 guard is considered to be a mid-to-late first-round pick given his ability as a scorer. He often beat defenders off the dribble and will bring good size with him to the next level. He has also shown promise on the defensive end of the floor with his length and athleticism.

Wesley has no plans to return to school and will likely remain in the NBA draft. He will have the opportunity to participate in private workouts with teams to help improve his draft stock and also figures to be a strong candidate to earn an invitation to the draft combine in May.

Underclassmen have until April 24 to declare for the NBA draft.

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

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Notre Dame star Blake Wesley enters NBA draft

How high will Wesley get drafted?

In an interview Wednesday morning Notre Dame basketball coach [autotag]Mike Brey[/autotag] told Mully and Haugh on 670 The Score in Chicago that Fighting Irish freshman [autotag]Blake Wesley[/autotag] would test the NBA draft waters and essentially have two months to decide his official next step.  Either Wesley changed his mind from the night before or Brey misunderstood what was said because the Notre Dame star has now officially declared for the [autotag]NBA draft[/autotag].

Wesley initially put a statement on Twitter declaring for the draft early Wednesday afternoon before quickly removing.  Roughly an hour after the original post Wesley reposted his decision which says nothing about weighing his options.

Wesley is clearly an incredible talent who improved as the year went on.  Notre Dame fans don’t have to be reminded that he still has areas that he could improve in and could use to put on a few pounds but it was certainly an impressive jump for Wesley to turn into a possible first round draft pick in just one season with the Irish.

Next:  Blake Wesley’s Notre Dame Stats

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Colorado State junior David Roddy to test NBA pre-draft process

Roddy is considered to be a borderline first-round pick after averaging 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks.

Colorado State junior David Roddy told Jonathan Givony of ESPN that he will declare for the 2022 NBA draft while maintaining his remaining collegiate eligibility.

Roddy, the Mountain West Conference Player of the Year, averaged a career-high 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks in 31 games. He became the 31st player in program history to reach at least 1,000 career points (1,406) on Dec. 11.

The 6-foot-6 forward is considered to be a borderline first-round pick after a strong season with the Rams. He presented a matchup problem for opposing teams given his size at 255 pounds and ability to score inside and out. He shot 43.8% from 3-point range on 3.4 attempts.

By testing the pre-draft process, Roddy will have the opportunity to participate in private workouts with teams. He also figures to be a strong candidate to earn an invitation to the draft combine or NBA G League Elite Camp in May.

The early-entry withdrawal deadline for underclassmen is June 1.

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

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Baylor freshman Kendall Brown declares for 2022 NBA draft

Brown was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team after averaging 9.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and one steal.

Baylor freshman Kendall Brown on Wednesday told Shams Charania of The Athletic that he will declare for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining collegiate eligibility.

Brown, who was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team, averaged 9.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists and one steal in 34 games. He finished with three double-doubles and nearly registered a triple-double on Nov. 15 with 13 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds versus Nicholls State.

The 6-foot-8 forward is considered to be a mid-to-late first-round pick. He filled the highlight reels on a consistent basis this season with his elite athleticism. He is a constant lob threat around the rim and has emerged as a tremendous cutter for Baylor.

Brown has shown he can affect games on the defensive end and can guard nearly every position on the court, save for the 5. He hasn’t shown real confidence in his shot, attempting only 41 3-pointers, but still knocked down 34.1% of those looks.

He could be a candidate to participate in the draft combine or NBA G League Elite Camp in May and improve his stock. He will also have the opportunity to take part in private workouts with teams between now and the NBA draft on June 23.

Underclassmen have until April 24 to declare for the NBA draft.

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

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2022 NBA draft race: March 30 update for Rockets, Nets picks

Though they were quite competitive, Detroit’s loss at Brooklyn on Tuesday sends them into a three-way tie (with the Rockets and Magic) at the top of the 2022 NBA draft race.

With Houston owning one of the NBA’s worst records, the 2022 playoffs are already off the table for the Rockets. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to still watch for in the final two weeks of the 2021-22 season.

Until the regular season’s conclusion on April 10, we’re regularly updating where the Rockets stand in relation to their closest competitors in the race for 2022 NBA draft lottery odds and positioning.

Houston owns two picks in this year’s first round: Their own, and one from Brooklyn. For purposes of these updates, we’re going to focus on teams (at the time of publication) within three games in either direction of both the Rockets and Nets in the standings.

After a second straight season at the bottom of the West, will the Rockets land another elite prospect such as Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith or Paolo Banchero for their troubles? Scroll on for the latest updates as of March 30, along with information on odds and tiebreaker scenarios.

For The Win has Sacramento Kings selecting Iowa forward Keegan Murray as lottery pick in 2022 NBA draft

Iowa forward Keegan Murray is mocked to the Sacramento Kings in For The Win’s latest 2022 NBA mock draft.

Now that Iowa forward Keegan Murray has chosen to forgo his remaining years of eligibility, it appears he is in line for lottery pick money. That’s what For The Win’s Bryan Kalbrosky is projecting anyways.

Kalbrosky put together his 2022 NBA mock draft 5.0 where he predicted every pick of both rounds. In Kalbrosky’s latest mock draft, he forecasted the Sacramento Kings to draft Murray with the No. 6 overall pick.

Don’t overthink this one. I feel that Iowa’s Keegan Murray was pretty clearly the best player in college basketball and his skill set translates perfectly to the NBA.

All season, this guy was a scoring machine who could create his own basket at the rim with ease. He was also a good shooter and defensive playmaker; there is not very much he cannot do. – Kalbrosky, For The Win.

The Kings would be adding a player in Murray that burst onto the scene as a national player of the year candidate this past season with the Hawkeyes. After averaging 7.2 points per game as a freshman, Murray upped his average by more than 16 points in his breakout sophomore season. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native finished the 2021-22 season averaging 23.5 points per game. The 6-foot-8, 225 pound forward also averaged 8.7 rebounds per game, which ranked second in the Big Ten.

Before Murray at No. 6, Kalbrosky had the Houston Rockets taking Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren No. 1 overall, the Orlando Magic drafting Jabari Smith No. 2, the Detroit Pistons selecting Duke’s Paolo Banchero No. 3, the Oklahoma City Thunder landing Purdue’s Jaden Ivey and the Indiana Pacers choosing Arizona’s Benedict Mathurin.

Kalbrosky projected the rest of the lottery picks as follows: Duke’s AJ Griffin No. 7 to the Portland Trail Blazers, Wisconsin’s Johnny Davis No. 8 to the San Antonio Spurs, Kentucky’s Shaedon Sharpe No. 9 to the Portland Trail Blazers, Ohio State’s Malaki Branham No. 10 to the Washington Wizards, Baylor’s Jeremy Sochan No. 11 to the Memphis Grizzlies, Memphis’ Jalen Duren No. 12 to the New York Knicks, LSU’s Tari Eason No. 13 to the Atlanta Hawks and Duke’s Mark Williams No. 14 to the Charlotte Hornets.

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Iowa Hawkeyes star forward Keegan Murray declares for 2022 NBA draft

With potential lottery money on the line, star sophomore forward Keegan Murray declared for the 2022 NBA draft.

After averaging 23.5 points per game and helping lead Iowa to the program’s third Big Ten Tournament title, star sophomore forward [autotag]Keegan Murray[/autotag] officially declared for the 2022 NBA draft.

Murray is seen by many as a probable NBA draft lottery pick, so it only makes sense to avoid any risk of injury and position himself to earn lottery pick money straight away. The Cedar Rapids, Iowa, product had a sophomore jump for the ages. After finishing his freshman season averaging 7.2 points per game, Murray upped those numbers by more than 16 points per game.

He also averaged 8.7 rebounds per game which ranked second in the Big Ten behind only Illinois’ Kofi Cockburn. Murray’s 23.5 points per game ranked fourth nationally and was tops among all power-five players. The 6-foot-8, 225 pound forward was a consensus first-team All-American, was named first team All-Big Ten, earned the Big Ten Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award and is one of four finalists for the 2022 Naismith Trophy.

“As a kid, I dreamed of playing in Carver-Hawkeye Arena and wearing the black and gold. I am forever grateful that coach McCaffery gave me the opportunity to live out my dream. You believed in me when few did, and you’re a big part of why I’m in this position today,” Murray wrote in his announcement.

Iowa head men’s basketball coach Fran McCaffery shared his excitement for Murray’s future and reflected on the outstanding two years he enjoyed with the Hawkeyes.

“We are excited for Keegan as he begins his professional journey. He has earned the right to be a lottery pick. Keegan is incredibly professional and even keeled with everything he does. Not only did Keegan accomplish things no other Hawkeye underclassman has ever done, but he also represented our program at the highest level. We fully support Keegan and will assist him every way we can throughout the draft process,” McCaffery said in a statement.

Murray ended this season shooting 55.4 percent from the floor and 39.8 percent from 3-point range. As The Rookie Wire’s Cody Taylor pointed out, Murray is the only player nationally that recorded at least 800 points, 300 rebounds, 60 blocks and 50 assists.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions.

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Let us know your thoughts, comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.