The NBA draft is a yearly event that occurs in the United States where college basketball players are selected to play professional basketball. This year, it will be held on June 20th and will feature teams from the US and Canada.
The 2023 nba mock draft is a list of the top 100 prospects for the 2022 NBA draft.
It’s been about a month since the NBA draft of 2021 gave way to our first mock draft of the 2022 cycle, and we’ve already seen a lot of movement and some new names among the next crop of prospects. The 59 names we revealed in our first two rounds in late July are still here, but we’ve extended the project this time to include the whole top 100 players in the 2022 NBA draft. We’ve addressed some of the main issues being posed in what will be another short draft calendar due to the pandemic’s impact, in addition to our updated list.
What’s up with the scarcity of point guards? Has the NBA’s infatuation with youthful talent started to wane, even if only little, after a selection in 2021 that included a larger pool of experienced players than usual? What effect would a shortage of international events, as well as a string of watered-down international events, have on the next draft class’s evaluation?
We set out to find answers to these and other questions. But first, here’s the whole top 100 for 2022:
1. Chet Holmgren | PF | Gonzaga | 19.3 years old
2. Paolo Banchero | PF/C | 18.7 years old | Duke University
Jaden Hardy | SG | 19.1 years old | G League Ignite
4. Memphis’ Jalen Duren | C | 17.7 years old
Caleb Houstan | SF | 18.6 years old | Michigan
Yannick Nzosa | C | 17.7 years old | Malaga
7. Jabari Smith | PF/C | Auburn | 18.2 years old
A.J. Griffin | SF/PF | 17.9 years old | Duke
Peyton Watson | SF | 18.9 years old | UCLA
Patrick Baldwin Jr. | SF/PF | 18.7 years old | Milwaukee
J.D. Davison | PG | 18.8 years old | Alabama
12. Jaden Ivey | PG/SG | Purdue | Age: 19.5
Kennedy Chandler | PG | 18.9 years old | Tennessee
14. Ousmane Dieng | SF/PF | New Zealand Breakers | Age: 18.2
Jean Montero | PG/SG | 18.1 years old | Overtime Elite
Dyson Daniels | PG/SG | 18.4 years old | G League Ignite
TyTy Washington | PG/SG | 19.7 years old | Kentucky
18. Daimion Collins | PF/C | Kentucky | 18.8 years old
Allen Flanigan | SF | 20.3 years old | Auburn
Ben Mathurin | SF | 19.1 years old | Arizona
Tristan Vukcevic | PF | 18.4 years old | Real Madrid
Nolan Hickman | PG | 18.2 years old | Gonzaga
Earl Timberlake | SF | 20.7 | Memphis | 23. Earl Timberlake | SF | 20.7 | Memphis
Nikola Jovic | SF | 18.2 years old | Mega Basket
Roko Prkacin | Cibona Zagreb | PF | Age: 18.7
Khalifa Diop | C | 19.6 years old | Gran Canaria
27. Keegan Murray | Iowa | PF | Age: 21.0
Jaime Jaquez Jr. | SG | 20.5 years old | UCLA
Caleb Love | PG/SG | 19.9 years old | North Carolina
Mark Williams | C | 19.6 years old | Duke
Michael Foster | PF | 18.2 years old | G League Ignite
Marcus Bagley | SF/PF | 19.8 years old | Arizona State
33. Ochai Agbaji | SF | Kansas | 21.3 years old
Andre Curbelo | PG | 19.8 years old | Illinois
Hugo Besson, 35, | PG/SG | 20.3 years old | New Zealand Breakers
Fedor Zugic | SG | 17.9 years old | Ratiopharm Ulm
37. Josiah-Jordan James | Tennessee | SG | Age: 20.9
37. Johnny Juzang | SF | 20.4 years old | UCLA
Matthew Mayer | SF/PF | 21.9 years old | Baylor
Justin Lewis | SF/PF | 19.3 years old | Marquette
Gabriele Procida | SG | 19.2 | Fortitudo Bologna 41. Gabriele Procida | SG | 19.2 | Fortitudo Bologna
Julian Champagnie | SF/PF | 20.1 years old | St. John’s
Walker Kessler | C | 20.0 | Auburn | 43.
Drew Timme | PF/C | 20.9 years old | Gonzaga
Ruben Dominguez | SG/SF | 18.5 years old | Estudiantes
46. Zach Edey | C | 19.2 years old | Purdue
Ariel Hukporti | C | 19.3 years old | Melbourne
Ibou Dianko Badji | C | 18.8 years old | Barcelona
Mega Bemax | 49. Malcolm Cazalon | SG | Age: 19.9 |
50. Taevion Kinsey | SG | Marshall | Age: 21.4
Andrew Nembhard | PG | 21.6 years old | Gonzaga
Oral Roberts | 52. Max Abmas | PG | Age: 20.3
Azuolas Tubelis | PF/C | 19.4 years old | Arizona
Guilherme Santos | SF/PF | 19.1 years old | Minas Gerais
Terrence Shannon Jr. | SG/SF | Texas Tech | Age: 21.0
Abramo Canka | SG/SF | 19.4 years old | Nevezis
Zsombor Maronka | SF | 18.9 years old | Prat
Pavel Savkov | SG | 19.3 years old | Vitoria
Will Richardson | PG | 21.9 years old | Oregon
Jahvon Quinerly | PG | 22.7 | Alabama 60. Jahvon Quinerly | PG | 22.7 | Alabama
61. MarJon Beauchamp | G League Ignite | SG/SF | Age: 19.8
Trayce Jackson-Davis | PF/C | 21.4 years old | Indiana
DeVante’ Jones | PG/SG | 23.3 years old | Michigan
Davonte Davis | PG | 19.9 years old | Arkansas 64.
65. Iverson Molinar | Mississippi State | SG | Age: 21.7
Justin Powell | PG/SG | 20.2 years old | Tennessee
Dawson Garcia | C | 19.9 years old | North Carolina
Jabari Walker | PF | 19.0 years old | Colorado
69. Mike Miles | PG | 18.9 years old | TCU
DeAndre Williams | PF/C | 24.8 years old | Memphis
71. Hyunjung Lee | Davidson | SF | Age: 20.8
72. Osun Osunniyi | PF/C | St. Bonaventure | Age: 22.8
Buddy Boeheim | SG/SF | 21.7 years old | Syracuse
74. Mojave King | Singapore | 19.2 years old | Adelaide
Boris Tisma | SF | Age: 19.5 | Studentski Centar 75. Boris Tisma | SF | Age: 19.5 | Studentski Centar
Mario Nakic | SF | 20.1 years old | Andorra
77. Tom Digbeu | Singapore | 19.9 years old | Prienai
Ismael Kamagate | C | Age: 20.5 | Paris 78. Ismael Kamagate | C | Age: 20.5 | Paris
Carlos Alocen | PG | Age: 20.6 | Real Madrid 79. Carlos Alocen | PG | Age: 20.6 | Real Madrid
Kenneth Lofton Jr. | PF/C | Age: 19.0 | 80. Kenneth Lofton Jr. | PF/C | Age: 19.0 | Louisiana Tech is a university in the state of Louisiana
Marcus Carr | PG | 22.2 years old | Texas
Courtney Ramey | PG | 21.8 years old | Texas
Keon Ellis | SG/SF | 21.6 years old | Alabama
84. Nate Laszewski | Notre Dame | PF | Age: 22.0
85. Tyson Etienne | PG/SG | Wichita State | Age: 21.9
Nikita Mikhailovskii | SF | Age: 20.9 | Tasmania 86. Nikita Mikhailovskii | SF | Age: 20.9 | Tasmania
Christian Braun | SG | 20.3 years old | Kansas
Isaiah Wong | G | 20.5 years old | Miami
Donta Scott | PF | 20.7 years old | Maryland
90. Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua | Baylor University | C | Age: 22.3
Makur Maker | PF/C | 20.7 years old | Sydney Kings
Jalen Wilson | PF | 20.7 years old | Kansas
Scotty Pippen Jr. | PG | 20.7 years old | Vanderbilt
94. E.J. Liddell | PF | 20.6 years old | Ohio State
95. Adam Flagler | SG | Baylor | 21.7 years old
Kofi Cockburn | C | 21.9 years old | Illinois
Isaiah Mobley | PF/C | 21.9 years old | USC
98. Darius Days | PF | 21.8 years old | LSU
Eric Ayala | SG | Age: 22.6 | Maryland 99. Eric Ayala | SG | Age: 22.6 | Maryland
Paul Scruggs | PG/SG | 23.4 years old | Xavier
What happened to the point guards?
For the second year in a row, the 2022 draft class lacks point guard depth, at least at this point. Davion Mitchell was the only first-round selection under 6-foot-4 who projected to play primarily at point guard in 2021, but top-30 choices Cade Cunningham, Jalen Suggs, and Tre Mann will all likely see time there (as well as off the ball). The names of Jason Preston and Sharife Cooper were called in the second round at the position, but this was one of the shallowest PG groupings we’ve seen in a long time, a pattern that may very well repeat itself if our early predictions are correct.
2 Related
J.D. Davison of Alabama and Kennedy Chandler of Tennessee are presently ranked 11th and 13th, respectively, with Gonzaga’s Nolan Hickman (No. 22) the only other player predicted in the first round who will likely spend the bulk of his time at the 1. All three rookies will almost certainly share playmaking responsibilities with more seasoned backcourt alternatives and other pro prospects — Alabama’s Jahvon Quinerly, Gonzaga’s Andrew Nembhard, and Tennessee’s Josiah-Jordan James are all projected to be second-round picks.
Is it still in the elderly folks’ heads?
The way older, very talented upperclassmen like Chris Duarte, Davion Mitchell, Corey Kispert, and Trey Murphy III crept into lottery discussions as the selection process progressed, despite their ages of 21 to 24, was one of the quietly fascinating stories of the 2021 NBA draft. None of those players were anticipated as first-round picks before the season began, but due to their efficiency, flexibility, and ability to fit into contemporary NBA lineups, they all moved into the ninth to 17th selection area by draft night.
Looking forward to 2022, four players in the first round — Allen Flanigan, Earl Timberlake, Keegan Murray, and Jaime Jaquez Jr. — are expected to be 21 or older on draft night, while Ochai Agbaji, Hugo Besson, Josiah-Jordan James, Johnny Juzang, and Matthew Mayer are all in the 30s range. Is it possible for any of these guys to get into the top 20? Could a “mature” NBA draft candidate, such as Memphis’ DeAndre Williams (who turns 25 in October), improve his value by guiding his team to a deep NCAA tournament and displaying his all-around versatility?
The opinion of the 2022 prospects who can legally buy alcohol will most certainly be influenced by how the “vets” from the 2021 NBA draft perform in their rookie seasons.
Will agents enable candidates to compete once more?
In the NBA draft of 2021, the previously held policy of “less is more” when it comes to agencies enabling client prospects to participate in pre-draft process activities fell flat on its face.
Jalen Johnson, Brandon Boston Jr., Sharife Cooper, Keon Johnson, Isaiah Jackson, Usman Garuba, Jaden Springer, Ayo Dosunmu, Charles Bassey, Joel Ayayi, Aaron Henry, and others were either unavailable or chose to sit out key portions of the NBA pre-draft process, including the combine, competitive workouts, and pro days.
Meanwhile, players like Joshua Primo, Josh Christopher, Quentin Grimes, Bones Hyland, Jason Preston, and Neemias Queta, who saw their stock rise in the pre-draft process, all had one thing in common: a willingness to play in the competitive 5-on-5 portion of the combine, which helped them claim spots previously held by those who chose to sit out and saw their stock drop.
Was this just a weird occurrence? Was it a result of NBA clubs’ lack of exposure to prospects during a coronavirus-affected college basketball season? Or will those who want to participate in the 2022 cycle be rewarded, while those who pass up chances risk slipping out of the top 20 and beyond? Only time will tell whether this is true.
Where can NBA clubs get the most scouting bang for their buck?
For NBA scouts who are on the road for weeks at a time, efficiency in live assessments is critical. Based on our top 100, these schools with numerous draft prospects will enable NBA clubs to receive the greatest bang for their money (particularly when they play opponents who have prospects to scout):
Ignite the G League (4) Gonzaga (four), Alabama (three), Auburn (three), Baylor (three), Duke (three), Kansas (three), Memphis (three), Tennessee (three), and UCLA (three) (3) Mega Basket (2) Arizona (2) Illinois (2) Kentucky (2) (2) (2) New Zealand Breakers (Michigan) (2) North Carolina (2), Purdue (2), and Real Madrid (2) are the other two teams (2)
While college basketball will continue to be the conventional and major route for young players to the NBA, we will continue to see them pursue other options. The G League Ignite presently boasts four players in our top 100, with a fifth, Scoot Henderson, who is not yet draft eligible but is projected to be a top-5 selection in the NBA draft class of 2023. A seventh player, China’s Fanbo Zeng, may also join the Ignite, but his prospective transfer has been stymied by bureaucracy and has yet to be revealed.
After watching LaMelo Ball and Josh Giddey go third and sixth in the last two NBA selections, it’s no wonder that the NBL and its Next Star program are becoming a popular way for young players to get exposure and improve their skills. So far, six foreign draft prospects have joined the league: Ousmane Dieng, Hugo Besson, Ariel Hukporti, Makur Maker, Nikita Mikhailovski, and Kai Sotto, as well as a seventh player in the form of Australian Mojave King, who has relocated his clubs from Cairns to Adelaide. Due to COVID-19 problems in Australia and New Zealand, the NBL has delayed the start of their season until mid-November.
Summer on the FIBA path is peaceful.
This has been a difficult summer for scouts to get eyes on some of the top 2022 draft prospects, with the exception of the FIBA U19 World Cup, which we covered extensively in July but which was lightly attended by U.S.-based NBA executives owing to preparation for the 2021 NBA draft.
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While the stacked FIBA U19 tournament in Latvia featured 10 predicted first-rounders (and 16 top-100 prospects overall), the remainder of the FIBA circuit has been rather boring in terms of certain players hoping to hear their names called next June.
Part of this is due to FIBA’s coronavirus-inspired decision to scrap the U16, U18, and U20 European championships in favor of “Challengers” pods with just six teams each distributed throughout the continent. These alternative events did not crown champions, did not feature promotion or relegation for the following year’s competitions, and were frequently skipped by top prospects or shunned by entire countries, which significantly lowered the level of play and largely caused NBA executives based in the United States to stay at home.
Some of the most intriguing players to emerge from the traditionally talented U18s were 2004-born 17-year-old prospects playing up, including Dragos Lungu of Romania, Henri Veesaar of Estonia, Baba Miller of Spain, Rayan Rupert of France, and Jakub Necas of the Czech Republic, none of whom will be NBA draft-eligible until at least 2023.
The U20s didn’t include a single talent presently rated in our top 70, with at least a dozen eligible foreign players in our top 100 unavailable or rejecting invitations, resulting in a total of 21 draft selections in five tournaments conducted from 2015 to 2019 (four per year on average).
Jonathan Givony is the creator and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics firm used by NBA, NCAA, and foreign clubs.
The 2021 nba mock draft is the most recent edition of the top 100 prospects for the 2022 NBA Draft.
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