After a few years, we can certainly say that the 2022 NBA draft class was certainly a top-heavy class. While there won’t be a single one of them who is probably capable of bringing home the regular season MVP award any time soon, in all honesty, this rather weak class did produce tons of role players who are now shining in their respective NBA teams.
While the top selection in this draft, Orlando Magic’s Paolo Banchero has turned into one of the best young players in the entire league, redrafting this class is rather tricky because of the absence of potential all-stars or All-NBAers if we solely base these young guys in their career trajectories.
In today’s list, we will be redrafting these 10 huge mistakes from the 2022 NBA draft class.
Which teams made the mistake in their selection in the 2022 NBA draft?
Houston Rockets (3rd overall pick) – G/F Jalen Williams
While Jabari Smith Jr. will certainly become a nice player sometime soon, Jalen Williams is undoubtedly the better player at this point in their career. Playing in an undersized role with OKC, the former 12th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft is widely considered one of the best young talents in the entire league today.
Williams is a good team defender with an ever-expanding offensive game. The 6 foot 5 combo player has a good all-around game that extends beyond the three-point line. He is a huge part of the Thunder’s recent success and is arguably the young squad’s second-best player behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Detroit Pistons (5th overall pick) – F Jabari Smith Jr.
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Hypothetically, if Jabari Smith Jr. was not selected by the Rockets at the 3rd spot, he’d definitely be a great fit for the rebuilding Pistons had he landed there. With Houston, Smith’s role on offense is somewhat limited due to Alperen Sengun’s emergence and Jalen Green’s apparent green light on the floor.
If Smith Jr. was drafted by Detroit, he would immediately fit in as the team’s second option behind Cade Cunningham on offense, thus hastening his development and potential as a player. He’ll be part of their young core going forward and will be given the freedom to hunt for his shots each game.
Portland Trail Blazers (7th overall pick) – G Jaden Ivey
Jaden Ivey would have been a great fit for the Blazers if the Pistons never had the chance to select him as the 5th pick in the 2022 NBA draft. By looking at Portland’s current roster, Anfernee Simons’s game is better suited at the shooting guard spot, thus paving the way for Ivey to flourish under the tutelage of head coach and hall-of-famer Chauncey Billups.
While Ivey has not developed a dependable three-point shot yet in his offensive repertoire, he’s already a good on-ball defender and passer at the early stage of his career.
New Orleans Pelicans (8th overall pick) – C Walker Kessler
The Pelicans’ original selection, Dyson Daniels has definitely shown some glimpses of his potential but for a team that’s looking to contend now, they certainly missed out on adding shot-blocking specialist, Walker Kessler.
To be fair, nobody expected much out of Kessler out of Auburn but he turned out to be one of the best rim protectors in the game today. While his scoring numbers may not pop out on the scoreboard, the intangibles he brings to a team are noteworthy. Just imagine if Kessler got a chance to play alongside Zion Williamson in the frontcourt. The amount of shots swatted away each game will be entertaining to watch.
Also Read: 5 Worst Draft Classes in NBA History and the 5 Best that Dominated the League
San Antonio Spurs (9th overall pick) – G Dyson Daniels
Like we said before, Dyson Daniels has shown some glimpses of potential but the problem is that his development has been hampered due to his lack of playing time in New Orleans. If the Spurs had the chance to select Daniels instead of Jeremy Sochan as the 9th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft, the former’s development under legendary coach Gregg Popovich would have been noticeable.
The Spurs lack a dependable point guard in their roster and Daniels would have been a great foundational piece for this rebuilding team. After all, Coach Pop certainly knows a thing or two about developing an unheralded floor general and turning them into an all-star.
Washington Wizards – (10th overall pick) – C Jalen Duren
In their pursuit of finding Bradley Beal’s heir apparent(they did trade him to the Suns before the 2023-2024 season), the Wizards drafted Johnny Davis as the 10th pick in the 2022 NBA draft. By drafting a need instead of the best available talent on the board, they totally missed out on big man and current double-double machine Jalen Duren from Memphis.
Johnny Davis is shaping up to be a bust as he’s a constant DNP for the lowly Wizards during his tenure with the team. Had Washington selected Duren instead, they wouldn’t have to worry about the center position in the foreseeable future.
Oklahoma City (11th overall pick) – F Tari Eason
Ousmane Dieng was arguably a bad pick for the Thunder in this spot in the draft. It certainly was a rare dud for a team like OKC who has a great track record when it comes to evaluating young prospects. With that being said, had they selected Tari Eason instead, the power forward from LSU would have been a great addition to the young Thunder squad.
With current Thunder Lu Dortz’s inconsistency on offense and being severely undersized at the forward spot, Eason would have been a seamless fit with OKC’s starting five. At 6 foot 8, Eason is a tremendous defender for his size and could switch to either bigs or guards through screens with ease.
Also Read: Looking Back At The 29 Players Drafted Before Jimmy Butler And Where Are They Now
Cleveland Cavaliers (14th overall pick) – G Andrew Nembhard
How Andrew Nembhard fell in the second round of the 2022 NBA draft remains a question but the 6-foot-5 combo guard can definitely play whenever he’s deployed on the court. He has a sweet shooting stroke and has the potential to become a solid 6th man in the league for years to come.
The original pick of the Cavs, Ochai Agbaji has already been traded three times during his short NBA career. He never got a chance to play for Cleveland. After a brief stint with the Jazz, Agbaji was traded to the Raptors in the 2024 trade deadline.
Atlanta Hawks (16th overall pick) – G Christian Braun
While AJ Griffin, the original pick of the Hawks, has shown some potential during his rookie season with the team, he is now inexplicably buried in the depth chart due to the plethora of wings on their roster.
Christian Braun would have been a great selection for the Hawks as he was a well-known do-it-all shooting guard during his three years at Kansas. He’s tough and gritty which is something the Hawks are currently missing in their lineup.
Chicago Bulls (18th overall pick) – G Malaki Branham
The Bulls needed to draft the best available talent and drafting Dalen Terry with the 18th overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft did not pay off for them in the way they hoped. Even when given minutes, Terry’s development is basically non-existent at this point and he’ll be soon out of the league if his regression continues.
Had they selected Malaki Branham instead, the Bulls would have had a solid spot-up shooter on the perimeter and well beyond the three-point line, which they now sorely lack in their current roster.
Also Read: “It’s the Right Move”- Kendrick Perkins Praised Bronny James for His Decision to Enter NBA Draft
