The 2022 NBA Draft Class is headlined by some big name big men like Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith, and Paolo Banchero. Those three are almost assuredly going to be drafted in the top four of the draft. Following those three, Keegan Murray and Jaden Ivey are likely to be the next two players taken. Murray is a versatile forward that dominated the Big Ten this year playing for Iowa. Ivey returned for his sophomore year at Purdue, and improved his shooting and overall game so much he’s being looked at as the best guard in this draft class.
Following those top-level prospects, Shaedon Sharpe and AJ Griffin lead a group of talented wings in the next tier of prospects. Sharpe hasn’t played a game since October of 2021, but is young, explosive, and has a great offensive arsenal. Griffin has struggled with injuries over the past couple of years, and wasn’t properly utilized at Duke. However, he’s a great shooter, with a versatile offensive game. On top of that, he could be a great multi-positional defender in the NBA.
Bennedict Mathurin of Arizona, Tari Eason of LSU, and Ochai Agbaji are also some wing prospects that should go in the late lottery. But, what if the Cleveland Cavaliers decide against drafting a wing this season in favor of drafting a big man who can dominate with the second unit?
If that were the case, it would surprise me, but in no way am I against it. The Cavs second unit this year was fueled by Cedi Osman and Kevin Love’s shooting, along with solid play from guys like Dean Wade and Lamar Stevens. There are at least two very good big men that will be drafted in the lottery after the guys I mentioned earlier that will fill out the top of the draft.
Jalen Duren is an explosive big man, with an old-school style, that will also be a dominant paint defender for years to come. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, Duren is very young, and has a super high ceiling, so he probably won’t be on the board when the Cavs pick*. Cleveland could turn to Mark Williams, a legit 7-footer from Duke, who’s a great rebounder, and will also dominate the paint on the defensive end.
So, even though the Cavs will likely take a wing this summer, if a player the caliber of Williams fell to them it would be hard to pass up.
*(Projected 14th pick pre-draft lottery)