Yes, the 2022 NBA Draft is months away, but it’s never too early to take a peek at some of the best young players in the nation, and where they might be playing next year. Unlike last year’s class, the class of 2022 has a lot of intriguing big men.
Obviously, Chet Holmgren, ESPN’s #1-ranked player in the high school class of 2021, who is now at Gonzaga, is expected to be a top two pick next season. Down in Durham, North Carolina, forward Paolo Banchero is another big man whose stock has risen immensely since the college basketball season. On top of that, Jalen Duren, the #1 center in the high school class of 2022, re-classified before this year and is now at Memphis, and will be eligible for the draft in the Summer.
With that being said, this should be a pretty deep class. We’ve already seen the craziness happen throughout college basketball this season, with no one being able to stay in the #1 spot for more than a week or two. It’s very possible that’s how the debate goes for the top pick this season, with teams, and front offices flip-flopping between Holmgren, Banchero, and even Jabari Smith out of Auburn.
Now before we take a look at my first big board of the season let’s take a look at what I believe the Cleveland Cavaliers should be looking for in the upcoming draft.
If you can’t pay for wings, you have to draft them
There is most certainly a debate to be had about which position is the most important in the NBA right now. For guys like me, I think it’s the quarterback of the team, the point guard. They handle the ball the most, they make the decisions, and they affect the outcome of the game more than any other position, unless a superstar is involved.
However, many Cavs fans right now might argue it’s big men. Just look at the turnaround the Cavs have been able to make just by acquiring Evan Mobley, who has impacted winning more than any other rookie. Cleveland had been third in the NBA in defensive rating, heading into Friday’s games; that’s now second, but we’ll hit on the two that were ranked a bit higher leading into then. The only two teams they were behind? The Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors, the two best teams in the league, according to wins.
Nonetheless, I would also make an argument that the defense has been great, but one thing has really stood out this year about this young team. They were 14th in the league in three-point shooting percentage, hitting them at a 35 percent rate, leading into Friday; that can vary some though, and Cleveland is currently 11th following Friday’s games. Needless to say, last year the Cavs were dead-last in the league in three-point shooting percentage.
I don’t think wings are the most important position, but they are your biggest asset. While watching the playoffs last season, we pretty much learned three things:
- Ben Simmons is scared to shoot
- Giannis Antetokounmpo is an absolute monster
- Shooting is the most important skill in the NBA by a long shot
Obviously, 1 and 2 aren’t the best takeaways, but three is spot on. The Suns got hot at the right time last year, and shot themselves through to the NBA Finals. If you polled many Cavaliers fans right now I think a lot of them would be willing to part ways with Isaac Okoro or Collin Sexton if the Cavs were able to bring in a guy like Brandon Ingram. Well, the good news is this draft class has some great wings as well.
Hell, Banchero could even be considered a wing at the next level. Jaden Hardy in the G-League can shoot the leather off the ball. Jaden Ivey at Purdue has transformed himself into possibly the best player in college basketball, and he did it in one summer. Adrian Griffin Jr. at Duke, Patrick Baldwin Jr. playing for his dad at UW-Milwaukee, and even Michigan’s Caleb Houstan are talented enough to be top 10 picks. Unfortunately, the second-ranked player in the high school class of 2022, Emoni Bates, also re-classified before the season, and is now playing at Memphis. But, unlike Duren, Bates will not be eligible for the 2022 NBA Draft, which is a bummer. However, not all is lost as I said there are a lot of good wings in this draft.
Before I get into the first big board, I want to be clear in saying that this is a team specific big board. I love Chet Holmgren, and think he will be able to add muscle and be a dominant player at the NBA level. But, do the Cavs really need another 7-footer on this roster? Or even Banchero, who is an exceptional athlete but more of a big man as well. So therefore, I would say the Cavs are set right now at point guard with Darius Garland, and at the four and five, I’d say they’re set for a year or two as well.
Tier One of this Cavs-specific Big Board
#1: Paolo Banchero, Forward, Duke (6-foot-10, 250 pounds) (17.8 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 2 APG)
This may come as a shock to some, especially some of my teammates here at KJG, but I think Banchero is the clear #1 prospect right now. Even though he does play for Duke, and their coach, his talent is undeniable. His rebounding and positioning after shots shows remarkably high basketball IQ for such a young player. On top of that his three-point shot has improved tremendously over the last year.
However, the one thing I think that separates him from the rest of the pack is his passing. Just like all good scorers, he’s always looking to knock down shots, but, over the course of an entire game, some of his subtle passes look even better 20 minutes later.
#2: Jabari Smith, Wing/Forward, Auburn (6-foot-10, 220 pounds) (17.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.6 APG)
Smith was in the lottery talk leading up to the season. Now, he’s in the conversation to be the top pick next summer. He deserves every bit of attention he gets. He’s improved his shooting over the past year and now has a very good three point-shot. Even still, the one thing that I think will translate to the NBA the best for Smith is his mid-range game. If you watch him, it looks like he models a lot of his offense around Kevin Durant, who was in the stands to watch him and Auburn clobber Nebraska at State Farm Arena this weekend.
He can post up smaller defenders, and can easily get by slower ones. It’s a crazy comparison, I know, but the only person comparable to him right now in the NBA is indeed Kevin Durant. I’m not saying he’s going to be as good as Durant; he might not even end up being better than Emoni Bates who will go in the 2023 NBA Draft. Regardless, he’s a special talent, so if the Cavaliers decided to lose a couple of games here soon, there is another light at the end of the tunnel.
#3: Chet Holmgren, Center, Gonzaga (7-foot-0, 195 pounds) (13.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.5 APG)
Holmgren came into the 2021-2022 college basketball season as the leader in the clubhouse to be the first overall pick. However, with all the talent the 7-footer has, his frail frame is cause for concern. Outside of that he’s a spectacular player. He can score from anywhere on the court, he has a very consistent offensive game, and on defense, he’s one of the best shot blockers in the country.
It’s hard to predict how he would fit with this Cleveland team, but I would think that the Cavs front office would look towards Smith or Panchero, before Holmgren, provided they were open to be significant trades, the season took an awful turn and/or the club got extremely lucky in the lottery. Even with those other two guys above him for now, he has all the skills that could make him a franchise centerpiece.
Tier Two of this first Cavs-specific Big Board
#4: Jaden Ivey, Guard, Purdue (6-foot-4, 195 pounds) (16.4 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.4 APG)
Ivey has shot up draft boards over the last two months. Surprisingly over the summer, Ivey was selected to play for the United States in the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. During the tournament he averaged 12.3 points per game, and was named to the All-Tournament team. Coming into his 2021 season, NBA scouts looked at him as an explosive athlete who needed to work on his shooting. Well, he did just that, and now he has very few weaknesses in his game.
He’s shooting over 39 percent from three this season, and has been the clear leader for one of the top-ranked teams in college basketball, Purdue. His athleticism shows that the defense will be there if he puts in the effort, and while his game will translate to the NBA, his body might take some hits early as he’s young and needs to add muscle.
#5: Bennedict Mathurin, Wing, Arizona (6-foot-6, 210 pounds) (17.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.8 APG)
This may come as a shocker to some, but the Cavaliers’ need for wing play is apparent, and right now Mathurin is the best true wing out there. He averaged 10.8 points per game last season as a freshman and was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. However, he’s another player who’s star shone brightest at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup this past summer.
Playing for Canada, he averaged 16.1 points per game and added four rebounds per game. He did this while leading the Canadians to a bronze medal. Overall, Mathurin seems like a player whose stock will go up and down as the season goes along. But if the Cavs keep winning, maybe Mathurin’s stock falling isn’t such a bad thing.
Tier Three of this first Cavs-specific Big Board
#6: Jaden Hardy, Guard, G-League Ignite (6-foot-4, 200 pounds) (18.3 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.3 APG)
Took the same path as Jalen Green and spurned the college ranks for the G-League. He’s playing on the same level as Green was last year, but is that good or bad? Overall, he’s a fantastic shooter in a league that desperately craves it.
#7: Jalen Duren, Center, Memphis (6-foot-11, 250 pounds) (10.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.2 APG)
Duren can be just as dominant, if not more so, in the post as Holmgren and Panchero. He’s more of an old-school big, who is very athletic for a big, and has a decent arsenal of offensive moves on the block. He will also be a great shot blocker at the next level, simply because of his size and tenacity. He’s below Banchero and Holmgren because he hasn’t stretched his game outside the three-point arc, which would greatly improve his stock.
#8: Kendall Brown, Wing, Baylor (6-foot-8, 205 pounds) (12.3 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.8 APG)
Brown has the best plus-minus ratio on the #1 team in the country. He’s not a great shooter, and needs to get at better creating for himself and others. However, at the next level he projects as a top level defender because of his athleticism and defensive prowess.
#9: Patrick Baldwin Jr., Wing, UW-Milwaukee (6-foot-9, 220 pounds) (15 PPG, 7 RPG, 1.9 APG)
Baldwin Jr. is suffering from playing at such a small school. He was great early, but as Milwaukee has played tougher opponents, Baldwin Jr. has struggled. Still, his shooting is still his greatest asset, and with his size on the wing, he should not slip out of the top 10.
#10: Johnny Davis, Wing, Wisconsin (6-foot-5, 195 pounds) (20.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.3 APG)
Davis has been the surprise of the season, other than Ivey. At the end of last year, some writers noted that he would be a player to watch this season. Well, they were spot on.
Unless his shooting just falls off, he looks like he’s headed to the lottery.