NBA Draft 2022 Review: Number one selection Paolo Banchero headlines stacked Draft class
A drama-filled, chaotic NBA Draft 2022 saw 58 new players enter the NBA.
FollowThe NBA Draft 2022 started with uncertainty and chaos around the number one pick. In the last few weeks, Jabari Smith Jr was the most commonly mentioned as Orlando Magic’s man at number one. However, it ended in drafting Paolo Banchero. Banchero became the fifth Duke player to be drafted number one after Art Heyman, Elton Brand, Kyrie Irving, and Zion Williamson. That shook things, as the Rockets at No. 3 took Jabari Smith Jr instead. The Thunder was said to be keen on Chet Holmgren for a while, and it drafted the lanky seven-footer at No. 2 despite the drama around it. Holmgren became the highest-picked prospect out of Gonzaga University.
Following the top three, there was intrigue about the Sacramento Kings’ fourth pick. There were talks about potential trades at that position, but the Kings selected an NBA-ready prospect. Following that, the Detroit Pistons picked Jaden Ivey, who many saw as a steal as he was in the top three or four on many Draft boards.
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The OKC Thunder traded multiple first-round picks to get the eleventh Draft pick from the New York Knicks and selected Ousmane Dieng. In the same trade, the Detroit Pistons acquired the 13th pick, with which they chose Jalen Duren, another prospect many considered a bargain at the position.
A prominent faller from many Draft boards was G-League Ignite’s Jaden Hardy, who was picked with the 37th pick by the Dallas Mavericks [through a trade]. A year after drafting Evan Mobley with the third pick, the Cleveland Cavaliers selected Evan’s brother Isaiah Mobley with the 49th pick. This Draft class consisted of 58 selections instead of the traditional 60, as the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat needed to give up second-round choices as punishment for alleged tampering.
