Pippen Ain’t Easy’s 2022 NBA Mock Draft: Final two-round forecast

Jeremy Sochan is likely not the player most Knicks fans are hoping to fall to them on draft night. In need of significant help at the guard positions, it would be in New York’s best interest if one of Daniels, Mathurin, or Davis falls to the 11th spot. However, in the event that does not happen, I believe Jeremy Sochan stands as the clear best player on the board at this point.

The Knicks would be wise to disregard fit and take the best player available here and see how the cards fall, especially when the player they’d be taking has the makings of a defensive genius. The Knicks need all the help they can get to rebuild this team around RJ Barrett, so picking up a guy like Sochan who has been compared by many to be a Draymond Green-lite will help complement the skills of those around him.

Trust me, this isn’t the first time I’ve sung praises about Sochan. I think there’s a very high chance he gets drafted higher than this, and if he doesn’t, he’s going to be a steal at No. 11.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have never been ones to hide the fact that they’re swinging for the fences with every pick. NBA championships are ultimately won by top-end talent, and that’s going to be the recurring theme here first with Chet Holmgren and now with AJ Griffin.

Griffin is one of this draft’s elite talents as a shooter, as he hit a ridiculous 44.7% of his long-range attempts in his freshman year at Duke. Injuries have hampered Griffin’s athleticism in recent years, but if he can put it all together again he could become one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the game.

Although Griffin’s defense is very suspect, Oklahoma City is in a perfect position to take on a gamble like this, and they need the help at the wing. That being said, it’s worth watching this pick closely, because there’s a strong chance Oklahoma City packages it with a proven player like Lu Dort to move up into the top 10.