Tag: 2022 nba draft

2022 NBA draft grades and analysis for every first-round pick

Rookie Wire went through and graded all 30 picks from the first round of the draft now that the smoke has cleared from the evening.

The smoke has cleared on the NBA draft as the basketball community has had some time to reflect on the selections, trades and other moves made on Thursday.

Of course, the Orlando Magic made the first splash of the night after taking Duke forward Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 pick. The choice may have been a surprise to those around the sport, but it wasn’t to those in charge of making the selection.

Elsewhere, several teams made trades to help themselves now or in the future. There were some winners and losers, and other teams that genuinely confused everyone with some of their moves. The festivities will certainly give fans plenty to talk about in the coming days.

Now that we’ve had some time to evaluate the picks and trades from Thursday, Rookie Wire went through and graded all 30 picks from the first round.

Celtics president Brad Stevens opens up about JD Davison, Boston’s No. 53 pick of the 2022 NBA draft

Boston’s newest guard will need time to develop, but has plenty of upside.

As might be expected with the 53rd pick of the 2022 NBA draft, the Boston Celtics went with a player likely something of a mystery to most Celtics fans, freshman point guard JD Davison out of the University of Alabama. The word on the Latohatchee, Alabama native is that he oozes athleticism and the potential that comes with his lightning-fast downhill attack.

But also that he is something of a disaster on wheels when it comes to decision-making, which is amplified by how raw the young prospect is in terms of skills and a feel for the game. That can change with a team investing time in Davison, which Celtics team president Brad Stevens gave every indication that Boston intends to after the franchise selected the 19-year-old Crimson Tide floor general.

“He’s a guy that we’ve seen all year long,” suggested Stevens. “Very young, very explosive, that’s pretty obvious.”

Where every Pac-12 player landed in the 2022 NBA draft

The Pac-12 conference had six players selected in the 2022 NBA draft, including three in the first round and three out of Arizona.

The 2022 NBA draft came and went on Thursday evening, and while the Oregon Ducks did not have any players selected it was still a busy day for the Pac-12 conference.

Tommy Lloyd’s Arizona Wildcats had three players selected within the first 33 picks of the draft, while UCLA, USC, and Colorado each had a player find a new home as well.

The Pac-12 wasn’t the only west coast conference with representatives at the draft, with three players (Chet Holmgren, Andrew Nembhard, and Jalen Williams) out of the WCC and one more (David Roddy) from the Mountain West.

While it wasn’t the most talented NBA draft class in Pac-12 conference history, this group should have multiple guys with lengthy careers in the association – and one of them could happen right here in Oregon.

Here is a look at all six draftees from the conference of champions, where they landed, and what their fit looks like on the new squad:

5 lottery teams closer to 2023 playoff contention after the NBA draft

These teams could make the postseason leap.

When teams are picking at the top of the NBA Draft, it’s usually due to losing a lot of games in the proceeding season. So predicting that one of those teams is going to make the playoffs in the next year is extremely bold.

When it does happen, it’s often a team with a pre-established core bouncing back from a down year due to injuries. In that case, the newly acquired rookie doesn’t always contribute much to the winning — like Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, who were lottery picks of the Warriors last year.

Every once in a while, though, a rookie slides into a budding situation and immediately contributes to a playoff push. This past season, Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes was an integral part of Toronto’s return to the playoffs, and Evan Mobley nearly helped the Cavs get in.

Playoff odds aren’t available for the 2022-23 season yet, but once they are, these are the non-playoff lottery teams with the best chance to make similar runs with the help of their newly acquired rookies.

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2022 NBA draft: Best OKC Thunder photos from draft night

Let’s take a look at some of the better Thunder photos from Thursday night.

The 2022 NBA draft is officially in the books for the Oklahoma City Thunder as the team added four rookies to the team with three top-12 picks and a second-round pick.

This was easily the busiest night of the calendar year for the Thunder as the franchise adds four more players to its rebuild.

The Thunder added Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren at No. 2, NZ Breakers forward Ousmane Dieng at No. 11, Santa Clara guard Jalen Williams at No. 12 and Arkansas forward Jaylin Williams at No. 34.

Let’s take a look at some of the better photos from draft night in Brooklyn’s Barclays Center for the new Thunder rookies.

The 10 best picks in the 2022 NBA draft

It was an eventful 2022 NBA draft and many teams made very good moves to get better. Rookie Wire took a look at some of the best ones.

It was an eventful 2022 NBA draft and many teams made very good moves to get better.

Teams like Oklahoma City, Houston and Orlando made big splashes and picked up great prospects for the future. With all that being said, some of the best picks were made by teams all over the NBA.

Here are the 10 best picks in the 2022 NBA draft that could shake up the league for a long time to come.

2022 NBA draft: Grading the Thunder selections

Handing out grades for the Oklahoma City Thunder 2022 NBA draft class.

The 2022 NBA draft is officially in the books and the Oklahoma City Thunder went home with four new players that includes three who went in the top 12.

Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren, NZ Breakers forward Ousmane Dieng, Santa Clara guard Jalen Williams and Arkansas forward Jaylin Williams will all call Oklahoma City their home for at least the next four years.

Despite a curveball thrown from the Orlando Magic as they surprisingly took Duke forward Paolo Banchero first overall, the Thunder were able to get the guy they were projected the most to get in Holmgren at No. 2.

Let’s grade each of the four picks.

Draft grades, reaction: How experts rank the 2022 Houston Rockets rookie class

The Rockets finished with three first-round additions, including a potential No. 1 pick at No. 3 overall. To no surprise, Rafael Stone received high marks from draft experts for his work.

The Rockets finished with three first-round additions in the 2022 NBA draft, including a potential No. 1 pick (Jabari Smith) who unexpectedly fell to Houston at No. 3 overall. To no surprise, general manager Rafael Stone is receiving high marks from draft experts for his work.

The Rockets were the league’s worst team on defense in many statistical metrics last season, and improving on that side of the ball is a clear priority for Stone and head coach Stephen Silas. Thus, there is clear excitement for adding two of the draft’s best and most versatile defenders in Smith and LSU’s Tari Eason (pick No. 17), and Smith happens to be arguably the best shooter in this rookie class, to boot.

The Rockets finished their night by drafting Kentucky guard TyTy Washington Jr. (pick No. 29), who had been projected in many mock drafts to actually go to Houston at No. 17! Thus, it was hard value for Stone to turn down. The Eason pick was obtained via the James Harden blockbuster trade from January 2021, while the Washington selection was directed to Houston as a result of last week’s Christian Wood trade.

Here’s what many of the leading draft analysts had to say about Houston’s haul on the day after the 2022 NBA draft.

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Betting action trumped one of sports’ most reliable reporters, and that will have a lasting impact

Always follow the money.

With a single tweet, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski conceded defeat in a battle waged long before he even realized there was one.

The tweet: “As the Orlando Magic move closer to getting on the clock, Duke’s Paolo Banchero is now looming as a frontrunner to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, sources tell ESPN.”

To the casual observer, his words were merely an update to a previous report based on new intel. To the betting community, they were a tremor in the bedrock of ground they once thought to be reliable.

Despite apparent sharp action moving Banchero’s odds to be drafted No. 1 from a very distant third-shortest late last week to favorite by the morning of the draft, Wojnarowski reported Auburn’s Jabari Smith as the “increasingly firm” top choice. Not stopping there, his report projected the top three picks, including Banchero to the Houston Rockets at No. 3.

Sportsbooks reacted accordingly, as Smith’s new +110 odds were dropped to -10000 after the tweet.

Thus, one of the biggest fissures in the public’s trust was soon to be born — one way or another. Normally, I would have advised people to follow the money trail. People aren’t betting so much to move Banchero’s odds from +440 to -210 in less than a day — down from +2000 just last week — without knowing something the rest of us don’t. However, Wojnarowski’s word has been as bond as any in this arena. I trusted him so much as to declare the draft spoiled. Boy, was I wrong.

Just moments before the draft was set to start, Woj started to get conflicting information.

His last-minute reversal will reverberate in the betting world for weeks, months and maybe years to come. How will sportsbooks react to reliable reporting that contradicts the betting action? How will the public? Will high-profile reporters keep their information closer to the vest in those scenarios? And does the industry have a wider insider problem that needs to be addressed? Is there really anything that can be done about it?

My one prediction is that books will more often consider removing odds altogether in those scenarios, as we saw a few do Thursday. After the wild rollercoaster ride that was the draft’s first few picks, we may get more answers soon.

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Keon Ellis signs two-way contract with Sacramento Kings

Keon Ellis will get his shot at the NBA!

Keon Ellis was one of the few key contributors to Alabama men’s basketball in the 2021-2022 season. Though he was not selected in the 2022 NBA draft, Ellis will get his shot in the league.

Shortly after the draft concluded, Ellis reportedly signed a two-way contract with the Sacramento Kings, which does not guarantee him a spot, but will certainly lead to an opportunity for Ellis to prove himself.

The landing spot is ideal for undrafted Ellis, as the team contains a lot of young talent and is looking to develop players for the future.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Ellis and other former Alabama players now in the NBA.

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