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Let’s see who Rookie Wire has the Oklahoma City Thunder taking in latest 2022 NBA mock draft with its three first round picks.
Rookie Wire’s Cody Taylor released his latest 2022 NBA mock draft recently, which is the fourth version of the installment. Let’s take a look at who Taylor has the Oklahoma City Thunder taking with their three first round picks at the second, 12th and 30th overall picks and their lone second round pick at 34th overall:
(For the full mock that includes all 58 picks, click here.)
For more coverage on the 2022 NBA draft, visit Rookie Wire
Rookie Wire took a look at the players with the best odds of becoming the No. 1 pick after the lottery, according to @Tipico.
The Orlando Magic were rewarded the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft on Tuesday and the conversation surrounding which player will be the top pick will begin to heat up now that the order is set.
The consensus is that Duke forward Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren and Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. are the three front-runners to hear their names called first on June 23. According to one report, the race may even now be between Holmgren and Smith.
With the top pick in tow, the Magic will now begin to ramp up their preparations by hosting those prospects for workouts and interviews. The team will do its homework on each player to best determine who will be the best long-term fit.
With the draft order now set, Rookie Wire took a look at the prospects with the best odds of becoming the No. 1 pick, according to the Tipico Sportsbook. The odds will certainly change before the draft but here is how things stand:
Holmgren and Smith are reportedly viewed as the consensus front-runners to be the No. 1 pick this year.
Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren and Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. are viewed as the front-runners to be the No. 1 pick this year, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Holmgren, a consensus All-American, averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, 3.7 blocks and 1.9 assists in 32 games with the Zags. He emerged as a strong prospect on both ends of the court and shot 39% from 3-point range on 3.3 attempts per game.
Smith, who was also voted a consensus All-American, averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, two assists, 1.1 steals and one blocked shot on 42% shooting from 3-point range. He set the Auburn single-season freshman record for points (576) and 3-pointers (79).
The top of the draft has been consistently dominated by Holmgren, Smith and Duke forward Paolo Banchero. However, it appears as though Holmgren and Smith have separated themselves a bit around the NBA, Wojnarowski said on his podcast.
This is the draft lottery of the power forwards with three very different players. We’ll see how this shakes out. Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga and Jabari Smith of Auburn, I think the consensus right now is those are really the two players competing for No. 1 with the Magic.
Of course, the Magic were awarded the top pick in the draft lottery on Tuesday after entering the evening with a 14% chance of winning. It is the fourth time in franchise history that the Magic have won the top pick, and the first since 2004.
Magic president Jeff Weltman said the team will do its due diligence on those prospects in the conversation to be the top pick and will carefully meet with each of them to determine the best long-term fit. They have often prioritized taking the best player available with the highest upside.
With the NBA draft still over a month away, the Magic will have plenty of time to reach a decision but the team appears to be poised to walk away with a potential franchise-changing player.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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Rookie Wire took a look at those prospects with the highest odds of becoming the No. 1 pick this year, according to @Tipico.
On Sunday, the first major deadline of the NBA pre-draft process arrived as the date marked the last opportunity that underclassmen could declare as early-entry candidates.
The top prospects all opted to enter the draft as the deadline offered little drama regarding their respective decisions. Some decided to hire an agent and forgo their remaining collegiate eligibility while others left the door open to return to school.
With the first step in the pre-draft process this year completed, Rookie Wire took a look at the prospects with the highest odds of becoming the No. 1 pick, according to the Tipico Sportsbook. The odds will certainly change before the draft on June 23 but here is how things stand now.
Smith, who was voted a consensus All-American, averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, two assists, 1.1 steals and one block this season.
Auburn Tigers forward Jabari Smith Jr. on Tuesday announced that he will declare for the 2022 NBA draft and forgo his remaining collegiate eligibility.
Smith, who was voted a consensus All-American, averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, two assists, 1.1 steals and one blocked shot on 42% shooting from 3-point range. He set the Auburn single-season freshman record for points (576) and 3-pointers (79).
He was also named the SEC Freshman of the Year.
The 6-foot-10 standout is in the conversation to become the No. 1 pick this year. He has impressed as a player who can create for himself and shoot from all over the court. He has also shown he can push the break on his own and projects to fit perfectly at the next level.
"Auburn will forever be my home." – @jabarismithll #WarEagle pic.twitter.com/36zVCThC91
— Auburn Basketball (@AuburnMBB) April 5, 2022
The decision to enter the NBA draft was likely a foregone conclusion for Smith. He established himself as one of the top players in the country and performed at a high level all season long and will be one of the first players off the board this year.
The 2022 NBA draft will take place on June 23.
This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!
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With the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament complete, Rookie Wire took a look at several of the top performances from the first four days.
The first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament are in the books as the opening weekend provided plenty of high-level basketball performances from teams and players alike.
Of course, the top story from the first four days of action was the play of 15th-seeded Saint Peter’s from Jersey City. With two stunning upsets, they became just the third 15th seed to reach the Sweet 16, joining Florida Gulf Coast (2013) and Oral Roberts (2021).
The tournament also saw several outstanding performances by those players projected to be drafted in the NBA this year. The Big Dance can often help prospects put their names on the map and improve their draft stock, and that was once again the case this year.
With the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament complete, Rookie Wire took a look at several of the top performances by players and teams from the first four days of action.
With Auburn on its way to a win in the NCAA Tournament, Smith took one final moment to remind everyone why he was named an All-American.
With Auburn well on its way to a first-round win over Jacksonville State in the NCAA Tournament, Jabari Smith Jr. took one final moment to remind everyone why he was named an All-American.
The SEC Freshman of the Year produced a team-high 20 points, 14 rebounds and four assists on Friday to lead the second-seeded Tigers to an 80-61 win over the No. 15 seed Gamecocks. Walker Kessler recorded 13 points, 10 rebounds and nine blocks to finish shy of a triple-double.
Smith had perhaps the play of the tournament with just over one minute remaining. The scene unfolded when Smith collected the offensive rebound off of his own missed 3-pointer. Smith dribbled around a few defenders and unleashed fury on Brandon Huffman.
JABARI SMITH WITH THE POSTER 😤#MarchMadness | @AuburnMBB pic.twitter.com/G0ufo40VGy
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 18, 2022
The monstrous jam by Smith immediately sent the Tigers’ bench into a frenzy. Players on the sideline had incredible reactions to the dunk and were left in complete shock. To make matters even worse, Huffman was also whistled for a foul and Smith completed the and-1 opportunity.
The victory by Auburn was its 10th straight in the first round to improve to 18-10 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers will face either seventh-seeded USC or 10th-seeded Miami (Florida) on Sunday for a chance to go to the Sweet 16.
Before that matchup, Tigers fans and basketball fans around the world will continue to talk about the dunk by Smith, who is a potential No. 1 pick in the NBA draft.
Here are some of the best reactions on social media to the dunk.
Reviewing the top player’s performances for Auburn during their run to the regular-season crown.
The Auburn basketball team has had several good years of hoops over the years.
The 2018-19 team made a run to the final four. The following year the Tigers made an appearance in the elite eight. It is pretty remarkable to see how much head coach Bruce Pearl has changed the atmosphere in hoops over the years on the Plains.
His success comes with the ability to recruit some of the best players in the country. By doing so, he has made the Auburn basketball program more notable as of late.
This season, the Tigers will be the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament and could potentially carry that seeding over to the NCAA Tournament if their success continues. Several players have been instrumental to the Tigers’ success this season, and I find it necessary to point out some of the key contributors for the Tigers this season.
A group of highly-regarded transfers, role players, and very successful freshmen highlight the success of the Tigers in the 2022 season.
