Tag: 2022 NBA mock draft

See where Johnny Davis goes in the latest ESPN mock draft

See where Johnny Davis lands in ESPN’s latest mock draft with the NBA draft less than a week away:

With the NBA draft less than a week away, ESPN writer Jonathan Givony released one of his final 2022 NBA mock drafts, which projects Jonathan Davis to go in the top 10 picks.

Related: Wisconsin basketball offers 2024 Center Raleigh Burgess

Similar to his earlier mock draft at the beginning of June, Givony projects the AP First-Team All-American to land at No. 10 with the Washington Wizards. Some may remember, that the Wizards were the first team to workout Davis earlier this month.

If Davis ends up landing with the Wizards, he wouldn’t be the first Badger to play there in recent years as former Wisconsin star Sam Dekker played for Washington in the 2018-19 season.

2022 NBA mock drafts: Oklahoma City Thunder June 2.0 draft projections

There is more parity this time around at the No. 2 spot in the second wave of June projections.

The 2023 NBA draft is just less than two weeks away on June 23 and with the Oklahoma City Thunder owning four top-34 picks, what national mock drafts say about them this late in the process is important to learn.

While there have been some recent changes and more parity this time around, it appears that Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren will be the heavy favorite to go second overall to the Thunder heading into the draft. Outside of that, picks 12, 30 and 34 have been all over the place in the entire NBA draft process.

Let’s take a look at who draft experts have the Thunder taking with their four draft picks in the latest round of mock drafts

(Credit to The Rockets Wire’s Ben DeBose for accumulating the mock drafts together. For the Houston Rockets’ version, click here.)

Sports Illustrated reports Thunder may trade up from 12th overall in 2022 NBA draft

This now makes two reports in the last week of the Thunder potentially wanting to move up from 12

Sports Illustrated Jeremy Woo recently hinted in his latest 2022 NBA mock draft at the possibility the Oklahoma City Thunder wants to package its 12th pick and other picks to potentially move up in the draft.

“There’s some thought around the league that the Thunder may try and combine this selection with some of their other draft picks in order to try and move up to get a second top 10 selection.”

This aligns with what Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer reported last week, where he also said the same thing that he’s heard that the Thunder might not want to trade up from 12th overall to get two top-11 picks this draft.

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As a precursor, it’s that time of the year where draft rumors and reports are at an all-time high, but Woo is one of the legit ones in terms of draft content, so what he says holds some merit. Thunder fans will just have to wait until June 23 for the 2022 NBA draft to see if the team makes any moves.

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2022 NBA mock drafts: Oklahoma City Thunder June draft projections

Here’s a look at who draft experts have the Thunder selecting with their four top-34 picks in the latest mock drafts.

The 2022 NBA draft creeps closer as it is less than three weeks away on June 23. This means that mock draft season is now more active than ever during this time of the year. Oklahoma City Thunder fans might have more than average invested interest into who draft experts have mocked to the team with its four top-34 picks due to their knowledge and intel on draft prospects.

Right now, it looks like Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren will soon be calling Oklahoma City his home as it is a near consensus across the board that he will be the selection at No. 2.

Let’s take a look at some of the more noteworthy mock drafts and who they have the Thunder taking at second, 12th, 30th and 34th overall.

(Credit to The Rockets Wire’s Ben DeBose for accumulating the mock drafts together. For the Houston Rockets’ version, click here.)

Jonathan Wasserman reports Thunder might like Jaden Ivey enough to take him second overall in 2022 NBA draft

“We’ve heard to keep an ear out for OKC’s potential interest in Ivey at No. 2. While Holmgren has been perceived as a top-three pick all season, some scouts prefer Ivey.”

Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman released his latest mock on Tuesday for the 2022 NBA draft and he still has the Oklahoma City Thunder taking Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren second overall. Afterward, Wasserman reported to keep an eye out for the Thunder potentially surprising everybody and taking Purdue guard Jaden Ivey with the second overall pick.

“We’ve heard to keep an ear out for OKC’s potential interest in Ivey at No. 2. While Holmgren has been perceived as a top-three pick all season, some scouts prefer Ivey. His fit isn’t ideal for a roster that already has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey, but a team who sees Ivey as a surefire star won’t pass on him due to fit questions. Of course, there is a difference between OKC being high on Ivey and actually making the pick with Holmgren and Banchero on the board.”

Other players mocked to the Thunder include Memphis center Jalen Duran going 12th, Notre Dame guard Blake Wesley going 30th and Arizona center Christian Koloko going 34th overall.

The reporting doesn’t sound super assuring that the Thunder would be willing to throw a curveball and take Ivey second overall. It appears that while the Thunder might like Ivey more than most, it’s not enough to take him at second when someone like Holmgren will most likely be available. With ESPN already reporting that most teams around the league believe Holmgren will be drafted by the Thunder, it’s hard to envision that not being the case suddenly. It’s important to keep in mind that it’s that time of the year where rumors run wild and there are an infinite amount of contradicting information.

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2022 NBA mock drafts: Oklahoma City Thunder post-combine draft projections

Here’s who recent mocks have the Thunder taking with the team’s four top-34 picks:

The 2022 NBA draft combine is officially in the books as the final day occurred on May 22. So far, it looks like the top three picks are all but set in stone with some variation of Jabari Smith Jr., Chet Holmgren and Paolo Banchero.

With that said, let’s take a look at who some of the more noteworthy mock drafts think the Oklahoma City Thunder will take in the 2022 NBA draft with their four top-34 picks. Just for a reminder, the Thunder are set to pick at second, 12th, 30th and 34th overall in the draft.

The 2022 NBA draft is set to take place on June 23.

NBA executive and scout express concern over Chet Holmgren’s physicality and frame

“I don’t think he’ll be as good as someone like Karl-Anthony Towns or Anthony Davis. Defensively, he can be better than KAT. I’d compare him to Kristaps Porzingis.”

With it looking increasingly more likely that the Oklahoma City Thunder land Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren second overall in the 2022 NBA draft, some within the NBA are concerned about his physicality and frame.

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto published his mock draft recently and was able to get the opinion of an NBA executive and NBA scout on their thoughts of Holmgren overall.

“‘As tough as he is mentally, he may not be able to withstand the physicality of the NBA game early on,’ an NBA executive opined. ‘I’m not sure he’s going to fill out his frame well. He has skinny shoulders. I don’t think he’ll be as good as someone like Karl-Anthony Towns or Anthony Davis. Defensively, he can be better than KAT. I’d compare him to Kristaps Porzingis.’

‘Chet’s the biggest risk at the top of the draft, but he could be the best player,’ an NBA scout opined.”

Holgrem’s frame at being a slender seven-footer has been one of the few criticisms on his game. With that said, I’m sure that’s a fixable problem when he is introduced to an NBA weight room and dietitians. Even if Holgrem doesn’t become a jacked athlete, that does not mean it will be a hinderance to his development as a player.

There are plenty of players in the league’s history — most notably Kevin Durant, who Thunder general manager Sam Presti drafted second overall in 2007 — that have slender frames and managed to carve out Hall of Fame careers. Being all muscled up is not the end all be all in the NBA for a measurement of success.

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Kevin O’Connor explains why the Thunder should take Jabari Smith Jr. second overall in 2022 NBA draft

“This pick is one of my favorite matches from team to prospect in the entire draft.”

In his latest 2022 NBA mock draft, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor has the Oklahoma City Thunder selecting Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. second overall. The video version of his mock draft explains in further detail as to why he thinks the Smith Jr. to Thunder scenario is a dream matchup for both parties:

“I got Jabari Smith Jr. going number two right now. This fit here for Oklahoma City. It’s — again — sensational for Sam Presti and the Thunder that they land number two. They have the ammo to trade up to number one if they really need to get their guy for sure. But Jabari Smith and number two makes a hell of a lot of sense because you get a guy who’s 6’10, who shot 43.6% from three as a freshman at Auburn, and he’s not just some spot up shooter, some guy who’s taken standstill threes. He’s somebody who can come off of screens and hand off and movement. Auburn didn’t do that during his freshman year, but you can see the way he takes pull up jumpers, the way he relocates off ball, how those skills are going to apply to more organized sets that you see in the NBA. So for Oklahoma City here, think about what they have. Their best young guys — Josh Giddey, who they drafted last year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who they of course got in the Paul George trade. Those guys are your primary ball handlers. And I think it’s worth noting as a quick aside here, Giddey’s likely there for the long term, that Gilgeous-Alexander stuff — he’s already into his second contract. They already had trade talks potentially trying to go for Cade Cunningham last year according to multiple reports. He’s not necessarily a part of the long-term future. Maybe he’s a guy they flip again, but why would you not want to keep Gilgeous-Alexander? He’s just the guy that you’d be open to moving if the deal’s right. If they’re keeping SGA and Giddey, Jabari Smith Jr. makes all the sense in the world considering the fact he brings that shotmaking that complements those guys. One of his weaknesses: getting very little of the ball, doesn’t have the tightest handle. This is where the (Michael Porter Jr.) comparison comes from. That’s something to keep in mind here. Think about what makes the best version of Michael Porter Jr. work in Denver. Well, he’s playing off of Jokic, he’s playing off of Murray and he’s feasting against some of the weaker matchups. He’s getting spot up threes, he’s attacking close outs. Jabari Smith Jr. will be in a similar environment next to SGA and Giddey and some of the other handlers for the Thunder. But the reason why this works is because Smith can develop that over the course of time. The level that he needs to reach as a ball handler — and he doesn’t need to be the 6’10 Kyrie Irving. He just needs to reach a passable level so he can be creating offense for your team. And even though he doesn’t, whatever man, because you’re getting somebody who sets the tone on defense, who’s 6’10, who’s long, who’s tough, who hustles, who brings it every single possession on the floor. So at a minimum, you get a guy with size, a shooting stroke, who’s smart, who can defend multiple positions. This is why this guy is a top pick and why he rose up the rankings during his freshman year at Auburn. For OKC here, this pick is one of my favorite matches from team to prospect in the entire draft. But with that said, Oklahoma City, you could say a lot of the same things about what Chet (Holmgren) could be with that team as a complementary piece and what (Paolo) Banchero could be as a primary guy, alongside them as a creator.”

It seems like Smith Jr. fits all the needs that the Thunder need in terms of building with Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey as he provides excellent outside shooting, an ability to move off the ball and a defensive pedigree that can raise the team’s floor on that side of the court. Considering that is in increasingly becoming more of a two-man draft between Smith Jr. and Holmgren, it’s hart to see the Thunder not be extremely happy and excited with whichever of the two they select.

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JD Davison, Keon Ellis go back-to-back in latest 2022 NBA mock draft

These two former Alabama MBB players are selected back to back in the latest 2022 NBA mock draft

Alabama men’s basketball made the NCAA tournament without being on the bubble, which is an improvement from where the program was just a few years ago, but it was still a very disappointing 2021-2022 season.

ESPN’s Jonathan Givony (subscription required) recently released his full first-round mock draft that is full of SEC players. Overall, a total of nine made the cut.

For Alabama, two players were selected late in the second round of the draft: [autotag]JD Davison[/autotag] and [autotag]Keon Ellis[/autotag].

JD Davison – No. 48 overall, Minnesota Timberwolves.

Keon Ellis – No. 49 overall, Sacramento Kings.

Ellis was a veteran for the Crimson Tide last season, and being project to get drafted is an improvement from where he started the season. However, Davison joined Alabama as a five-star prospect that was expected to take the nation by storm. Though he was impressive, he didn’t meet the high expectations that were set. Some questioned his decision to leave college for the NBA, as he was once seen as a potential lottery pick.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow former Alabama basketball players as they prepare for the 2022 NBA draft.

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Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on Twitter @SpurrFM.

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See where Johnny Davis lands in For The Win’s 2022 NBA mock draft

See where Johnny Davis lands in For The Win’s 2022 NBA mock draft:

Wisconsin Badgers guard Johnny Davis finished his sophomore campaign having been named  a consensus first-team All-American, Big Ten Player of the Year, and the Lute Olson National Player of the Year. 

So, the logical next step was entering his name into the NBA draft and beginning his professional career while his stock was at an all-time high.

NBA staff writer Bryan Kalbrosky of For The Win recently completed a mock draft that had the La Crosse (Wis.) native being selected 9th overall to the San Antonio Spurs.

Davisled the Badgers in scoring and rebounding, finishing his sophomore season averaging 19.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.

A projected lottery pick in the upcoming 2022 NBA Draft, Davis is well positioned to become the first Badger drafted since Frank Kaminsky (9th overall) and Sam Dekker (18th overall) were selected in the 2015 NBA Draft.

Contact/Follow us @TheBadgersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin news, notes, opinion and analysis.