2022 NBA Mock Draft: Version 1.0 midway through NBA season
15.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.4 steals, 1.0 blocks, 46% fg, 44% 3pt, 79% ft, 27 mpg. Auburn University (NCAA). player. . Freshman, Forward. Jabari Smith. 3. 169
Though it is likely a two-man race between Chet Holmgren & Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith without a doubt has an argument as the top prospect in this class. His freshman season at Auburn has gone as well as he could have possibly hoped for: playing a major role on a team that is winning a lot of basketball games. Smith boasts a rare skill set as an off-ball four who can space the floor & defend.
We have seen in past years how valuable a player who can make a large impact away from the basketball is, with great examples in Klay Thompson & Khris Middleton. However, we rarely see frontcourt players able to make as large an impact as guards do in this style of play. Smith projects as someone who can do just this.
Especially with a ball-dominant guard like Jalen Green set to become the face of the Houston Rockets franchise, adding a 3&D player in the frontcourt would make a ton of sense. Houston will likely at least look into moving on from Christian Wood this Summer, which would clear the way for a top pick in this draft to slide in with the Rockets’ bigs.
Baylor University (NCAA). 4. player. 10.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.3 blocks, 66% fg, 36% 3pt, 70% ft. Pick Analysis. Freshman, Forward. Kendall Brown. 149
The wing position is one that will without a doubt be addressed in some manner this offseason, as OKC is currently starting six-foot three-inch Luguentz Dort at the small forward. The Thunder have struggled immensely with spacing this year, which is probably one of the reasons that SGA is having a down year.
Considering that they have their backcourt locked down for the foreseeable future, going & getting wing players to compliment their guards should be the next step. Kendall Brown has seen very limited action with the Bears but has made good use of the minutes he has received.
Brown has shown that he can make an impact on winning basketball with Baylor, and can do so without the basketball. He projects as an above-average wing defender, with a wingspan just south of seven feet. Though coined a 3&D prospect, Brown is attempting under one three per contest.
This is without a doubt a red flag, as the sample size of his shooting from range is incredibly small. He has hit the shots he has taken though, & finds himself in an early position to be selected in the top-fourteen. Assuming his shot carries over to the NBA, he could carve out a nice rotational role somewhere, but this is a big if.