2022 NBA Draft Thread

[NYRaider]

1 minute ago, Sllim Pickens said:

I dont mean Duren is going to fall out of the top 5-7, but he could drop if he is one dimensional and doesn't dominate lesser competition.  He has the upside athletically like Kuminga had so he won't fall far, I just don't see him being the top pick in this class. 

Wiseman went #2 and he only played 3 games at Memphis. I agree that Duren won't be the #1 pick but I think he'll definitely go top 5. Especially if he can show some 3P shooting potential. 

2 minutes ago, Sllim Pickens said:

Same with Hardy.  I think he has potential and the athletic ability to be a top pick, he just will have to prove it.  I don't think he is as sure of a bet in the G League as Green was and if he struggles there, he might not have enough athletically to be a top 5-8 pick like Kuminga was.  I think Hardy can be a Brad Beal type which is solid but isn't a ceiling like the guards at the top of this years draft. 

Hardy is solid but I'm not really a huge fan of his to be honest. He reminds me of Markelle Fultz as a prospect and I think his ceiling is a Jamal Murray type of player. He's definitely a tier below Green athletically and kind of a ball hog. I think he will produce in the G-League though, he's going to have the ball in his hands at all times. 

5 minutes ago, Sllim Pickens said:

As for Baldwin, he does remind me some of Porter.  Porter fell due to injury and didn't play much, similar to Wiseman they were drafted on potential and hype due to little tape. But if Baldwin plays doesn't show out, he could slide down boards some.  Again not sure he drops out of the first round but could be a later pick like Jalen Johnson was this year. 

Yeah Porter definitely fell due to injury but he also wasn't very good in the very few games he played at Missouri. I think PBJ will be fine, we just saw Obi Toppin go 8th coming out of Dayton. Johnson fell because he wasn't very good at Duke, the team got better once he left. And he has a questionable camp around him, IIRC he switched HS' like 3 times in a year. 

9 minutes ago, Sllim Pickens said:

The Pistons could use some bigs.  I would love a Paolo or Chet if chet bulks up as I think our guards are solid but could use some more athleticism on the wing.  Bey is solid but he and maybe Hayes can and will need to be upgraded eventually but having some scoring options inside would help tremendously.    

Chet to me is the biggest boom or bust prospect in the class, I could see him being very good or a complete bust. Paolo would be a perfect fit with the Pistons, the Cade/Paolo p--r would be filthy. 

[beekay414]

PBJ is going to feast on the Horizon League. The only announced non-conference games I've seen are at Florida and at Colorado. We'll see how he fares in those showings.

[NYRaider]

14 minutes ago, beekay414 said:

PBJ is going to feast on the Horizon League. The only announced non-conference games I've seen are at Florida and at Colorado. We'll see how he fares in those showings.

Can't remember a one-n-done going to a small program and then going in the lottery. But we've seen guys like Obi Toppin, Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Steph Curry, etc. come from small schools and be lottery picks. And Wiseman only played 3 games at Memphis and went #2. 

[Texansfan713]

9 minutes ago, NYRaider said:

Can't remember a one-n-done going to a small program and then going in the lottery. But we've seen guys like Obi Toppin, Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, Steph Curry, etc. come from small schools and be lottery picks. And Wiseman only played 3 games at Memphis and went #2. 

anthony bennett but yeah the list is small. 

[NYRaider]

1 hour ago, Texansfan713 said:

anthony bennett but yeah the list is small. 

I wouldn't necessarily considering UNLV a small program though. Definitely not a major conference school but they were great in the 1990s and have some history. UW-Milwaukee is much closer to programs like Davidson, Lehigh, Webber State, etc. then UNLV.

[NYRaider]

My personal big board going into the season, assuming Emoni isn't eligible until 2023. 

1. Paolo Banchero | FC | Duke

2. Jalen Duren | FC | Memphis

3. Adrian Griffin Jr | GF | Duke

4. Peyton Watson | GF | UCLA 

5. Chet Holmgren | FC | Gonzaga

6. Patrick Baldwin Jr | F | UW-Milwaukee

7. Jaden Hardy | CG | G-League

8. Nikola Jovic | F | Serbia

9. Jaden Ivey | CG | Purdue

10. TyTy Washington | CG | Kentucky

11. Caleb Houstan | F | Michigan

12. Jean Montero | PG | OTE

13. Jabari Smith | F | Auburn

14. Kennedy Chandler | PG | Tennessee

Edited August 13, 2021 by NYRaider

[Sllim Pickens]

21 hours ago, NYRaider said:

I wouldn't necessarily considering UNLV a small program though. Definitely not a major conference school but they were great in the 1990s and have some history. UW-Milwaukee is much closer to programs like Davidson, Lehigh, Webber State, etc. then UNLV.

I agree with that.  But also I think the Bennet and Wiseman picks were due more to lack of quality in the draft than them being so good they stuck out and deserved the pick.  In those classes, it was worth taking a shot on high potential just because nobody really stood out.  PBJ I think will be ok, but given every year there are high school kids who don't go as high as they were expected, he is one I think has a better chance to fall than some others. I don't love his game and athleticism.  I think he will probably be better than most in his league but I just think he needs to dominate to keep his draft status given others will be moving up and not as many ahead of him falling down boards and I don't think he dominates, just plays solid.   

[Sllim Pickens]

30 minutes ago, NYRaider said:

My personal big board going into the season, assuming Emoni isn't eligible until 2023. 

1. Paolo Banchero | FC | Duke

2. Jalen Duren | FC | Memphis

3. Adrian Griffin Jr | GF | Duke

4. Peyton Watson | GF | UCLA 

5. Chet Holmgren | FC | Gonzaga

7. Patrick Baldwin Jr | F | UW-Milwaukee

8. Jaden Hardy | CG | G-League

9. Nikola Jovic | F | Serbia

10. Jaden Ivey | CG | Purdue

11. TyTy Washington | CG | Kentucky

12. Caleb Houstan | F | Michigan

13. Jean Montero | PG | OTE

14. Jabari Smith | F | Auburn

I don't know much about the foreign prospects yet but there isn't much to knock here.  I have Chet higher until he fails to add weight or fails against collegiate competition.  He outdueled Emoni and and other top picks so even if he is a skinny 3/4 instead of a true 5, he will be ok IMO. He doesn't look athletic because he looks goofy and what most call ...sneaky athletic... (when a white guy is fast or athletic) but he was holding his own against good athletes.  AGJ could rise but I am not as high on him or Baldwin just yet.  

[NYRaider]

1 minute ago, Sllim Pickens said:

I agree with that.  But also I think the Bennet and Wiseman picks were due more to lack of quality in the draft than them being so good they stuck out and deserved the pick.  In those classes, it was worth taking a shot on high potential just because nobody really stood out.  PBJ I think will be ok, but given every year there are high school kids who don't go as high as they were expected, he is one I think has a better chance to fall than some others. I don't love his game and athleticism.  I think he will probably be better than most in his league but I just think he needs to dominate to keep his draft status given others will be moving up and not as many ahead of him falling down boards and I don't think he dominates, just plays solid.   

The Bennett pick I definitely agree, but not really the Wiseman pick. The 2013 draft happened during a normal year and the top 5 picks were Bennett, Oladipo, OPJ, Cody Zeller, and Alex Len. Bennett was a surprise #1 pick and a late riser during the draft process. The 2020 draft happened during the covid season and Wiseman was always projected as a top 3 pick, he just didn't get the chance to play at Memphis. And I'd say the rest of the top 5 from last year showed promise with guys like Edwards, LaMelo, P Williams, and Okoro all flashing potential. 

At 6'10" with his shooting stroke I think he'll still be a lottery pick. It's a pretty weak class overall and he should dominate in the Horizon League. 

[NYRaider]

3 minutes ago, Sllim Pickens said:

I don't know much about the foreign prospects yet but there isn't much to knock here.  I have Chet higher until he fails to add weight or fails against collegiate competition.  He outdueled Emoni and and other top picks so even if he is a skinny 3/4 instead of a true 5, he will be ok IMO. He doesn't look athletic because he looks goofy and what most call ...sneaky athletic... (when a white guy is fast or athletic) but he was holding his own against good athletes.  AGJ could rise but I am not as high on him or Baldwin just yet.  

I'm not as high on Chet as others, he got severely outplayed by Victor Wembanyama (projected #1 in 2023) who is 2 years younger than him in the U19 Gold Medal game. His frame is also a concern to me, he's like 7'2" 190 right now, he's going to have to bulk up significantly. 

AJ Griffin Jr is the guy that I'm actually the highest on. Didn't get to play a HS season but at 6'7" 215 with a 7'1" wingspan and the skills/athleticism he has flashed he has all the makings of a prototypical NBA wing. IIRC he's also the youngest player in this years class. 

 

 

 

 

[beekay414]

I, for the life of me, can't understand why Max Abmas didn't transfer from Oral Roberts. His stock isn't going to rise playing in the Summit League another season. He should've transferred to a P5 team tbqh.

[beekay414]

I have the same 13 listed as @NYRaider (you missed #6 lol) but just in a different order. My 14th ranked guy is someone that reminds me a bit of Devin Booker at the same age.

1. Paolo Banchero | FC | Duke
2. Chet Holmgren | FC | Gonzaga
3. Jalen Duren | FC | Memphis
4. Adrian Griffin Jr | GF | Duke
5. Nikola Jovic | F | Mega Bemax
6. Patrick Baldwin Jr | GF | UW-Milwaukee
7. Peyton Watson | GF | UCLA 
8. Jean Montero | PG | Overtime Elite
9. Jaden Hardy | G | G League Ignite
10. Jabari Smith | F | Auburn
11. Jaden Ivey | G | Purdue
12. Caleb Houstan | F | Michigan
13. TyTy Washington | G | Kentucky
14. Bryce McGowens | SG | Nebraska

Edited August 13, 2021 by beekay414

[NYRaider]

38 minutes ago, beekay414 said:

I, for the life of me, can't understand why Max Abmas didn't transfer from Oral Roberts. His stock isn't going to rise playing in the Summit League another season. He should've transferred to a P5 team tbqh.

I thought he was in the draft, should've went to UW-Milwaukee with PBJ.

[NYRaider]

11 minutes ago, beekay414 said:

9. Jaden Hardy | G | G League Ignite

Hardy is a solid prospect but I'm not as high on him as everyone else seems to be. Hardy's good but I don't think he'll be a star, my NBA comp for him is Kevin Porter Jr. 

12 minutes ago, beekay414 said:

I have the same 13 listed as @NYRaider (you missed #6 lol)

Fixed it, lol.

[beekay414]

7 minutes ago, NYRaider said:

Hardy is a solid prospect but I'm not as high on him as everyone else seems to be. Hardy's good but I don't think he'll be a star, my NBA comp for him is Kevin Porter Jr.

Yeah, I'm not sure how he's going to truly fare in the G League. Like you said before, I think he's going to go more the route of Isaiah Todd than Jalen Green/Jonathan Kuminga. I also just like Montero more than him. Montero, and call me crazy here, reminds me of Dame.

I definitely expect that I'm the high man on McGowens too. Just such a smooth scorer who plays such a controlled game. Nothing panics him and he has the ability to hit contested shots consistently. I think he has a really high upside as a scorer once he adds grown man strength. 

Edited August 13, 2021 by beekay414