Picture Credit: Twitter
23rd June night at the NBA Draft ended with some familiar drama while young talents get their spots on the respective NBA teams. Some predictions were proved wrong, and some decisions were made just to fill in the void in the roasters. Here are the biggest winners and losers of the 2022 NBA draft.
1. Big Winners: Paolo Banchero, Oklahoma City Thunders
A sure thing and a winner who gets to be the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Duke star couldn’t have asked for the perfect fitting team with a bunch of young talent around and the possibility of maximum playing time on the court.
The Magic had the worst record in the league in the previous season, but certainly has one of the league's most intriguing young cores. They are in the rebuilding phase, allowing their youngsters to develop and have more experience before getting into the “serious stuff”.
Adding Duke’s promising forward Banchero in the mix would allow the Magic to have versatility on the floor. New Magic line-up- when clicked would give many teams a run for their money but may be in a 1-2 years period.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma City Thunders were in search of a potential star player to their franchise player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Still 23 years old Guard, Alexander will have some size presence in the paint with Chet Holmgren. The Gonzaga star averaged 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game, as a freshman.
Along with his defensive abilities, Chet has quick feet and create shot for himself. Also, OKC has some talented stars like Josh Giddey (6.4 assists) and Aleksej Pokusevski (5.9 assists) to provide the ball to score.
Following up their 2nd overall pick they did manage to cash in some of their future assets to land Ousmane Dieng and also draft Jalen Williams at the 12th pick. This allows the team to have several ball handlers and playmakers – just like a mini version of reigning champions Golden State Warriors
An average outing for Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets traded their big man Christian Wood to the Mavs before the draft night. But they tried to make amends on the position by signing versatile player Jabari smith. In his lone season with Auburn, Smith averaged 16.9 points and 2.3 threes while shooting 42.0 per cent from deep and was probably the best shooter in the current class. He trailed only Chet Holmgren among freshmen in offensive +/- showcasing his talent.
With Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., and Alperen Sengun – Jabari Smith could be a potential starter for the team.
Biggest Losers: New York Knicks, Sacramento Kings
New York Knicks tried their best to move up in the draft by enticing the Pistons to exchange their 5th-round pick to land Jaden Ivy. They failed to convince the Motor city front office and stuck with their No. 11 selection. Still, miraculously they left without a first-round rookie to add to the 2022-23 rosters.
New York dealt that 11th pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for three future firsts. Then, they got back in by acquiring Jalen Duren (the 13th pick) before eventually re-routing him to the Detroit Pistons along with Kemba Walker. The attempt is seen as a desperate move to free up the cap for Mavs star Jalen Brunson – who is yet to agree on any terms with the franchise. Now if Brunson denies any advancement from the Knicks then they will be left pale-faced.
In the mock draft, Sacramento ended up with Jaden Ivy after the 1st three picks in a different order. But it seems that the Kings like to miss on potential superstars like - Luka Doncic, Damian Lillard, or Klay Thompson, who selected Murray at 4.
Nothing wrong with the player, in fact, he is one of the offensively gifted players in the given pool, but the Kings needed a strong playmaker With Domantas Sabonis and De'Aaron Fox in place.