2022 NBA Mock Draft: Picks 1-6
1. Detroit Pistons – F Paolo Banchero – Duke
With the first-overall pick, the Detroit Pistons would take the prospect on the board with the most star potential. While Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith Jr., and Jaden Ivey each have a decent shot at being the best player to come from this draft, no one is a safer bet to be an All-Star one day than Paolo Banchero.
Banchero has an NBA-ready body and skillset, with plenty of room to grow. He should be able to star alongside Cade Cunningham from day one and both prospects should play off one another well.
2. San Antonio Spurs – F Jabari Smith Jr. – Auburn
With Paolo Banchero off of the board, the San Antonio Spurs would take the best offensive talent left on the board with this huge jump to the second-overall pick. With Dejounte Murray, Josh Primo, Lonnie Walker IV, Keldon Johnson, and Devin Vassell already on the roster, the Spurs have plenty of young talent in the backcourt.
With Jabari Smith Jr., they add a versatile off-ball weapon that can play off of their lead guards and someone who could become an elite weakside defender with size. San Antonio desperately needs more shooting and wing depth and Jabari Smith Jr. happens to fill both of the holes perfectly.
3. Portland Trail Blazers – F/C Chet Holmgren – Gonzaga
Like San Antonio, the Portland Trail Blazers also take a modest leap here into the top three. With Banchero and Smith Jr. off of the board and Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons back in Rip City, the only logical choice left for Portland is Gonzaga big, Chet Holmgren. Holmgren would bring length and defense to a team that has severely lacked in those departments during Lillard’s tenure.
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His floor spacing and ability to impact the offense without the ball in his hands would be a perfect fit with Dame. Playing next to a traditional center like Jusuf Nurkic in his rookie year may also be the best thing for Holmgren’s development.
4. Houston Rockets – G Jaden Ivey – Purdue
The Houston Rockets here are left with the best possible remaining prospect in Jaden Ivey. Ivey and Green would pair up to form one of the most athletic and exciting backcourts in the league. Ivey’s slashing, playmaking, and point-of-attack defense would be the perfect foil for Green’s perimeter-oriented skills. This pick would be the biggest no brainer at this point in the draft.
5. Orlando Magic – G/F Shaedon Sharpe – Kentucky
The poor Orlando Magic fall out of the top-four again in this mock draft. After whiffing out on a chance to grab the consensus future All-Stars in this year’s class, it seems likely they would reach for a player with a lofty ceiling with the fifth pick. Rather than take Iowa’s Keegan Murray or Memphis’s Jalen Duren — impact players with less star potential — the Magic take Shaedon Sharpe.
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Sharpe was a red shirt for the Kentucky Wildcats last season due to eligibility issues, but the scoring potential he flashed in high school should make him a high lottery pick still. Orlando has constructed a roster full of solid, high-upside role players, but they need a true number one option on offense. Sharpe is the prospect most likely to compete for scoring titles still available.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder – F Keegan Murray – Iowa
General Manager Sam Presti would be kicking himself for just missing out on Sharpe, a high-risk, high-reward prospect that’s right in OKC’s wheelhouse. Instead, the Thunder settle for Keegan Murray, a rangy, versatile forward with great size and athleticism.
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Murray figures to be a contributor on both ends of the court from day one and would be a great frontcourt option alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey. Murray won’t be the most exciting rookie next year, but he could end up winning Rookie of the Year with strong fundamentals and excellent intangibles.
