With less than 20 days until the 2022 NBA Draft, questions facing who should be the #1 pick and prospect flaws are still being talked about quite a bit.
- The Orlando Magic are taking their time with bringing in and ultimately deciding on Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero, or Chet Holmgren. As I’ve said throughout the draft process, all three already have NBA tools and very high potential, but I think Smith had the hardest situation this season (lacked guards that could get him the ball), and prevailed by doing pretty much of everything while winning. Auburn won 24 out of their first 26 games, as Smith guarded every position, hit step back threes, hammered home powerful dunks, and played with a never back down competitiveness. Those are all pro level attributes you can’t teach to go along with his 6-10 size. I saw a lot of similar skills in Banchero’s game as well when it came to his skillset and attitude. However, Banchero is a better scorer and passer, but Smith brings more overall from a potential standpoint. And in Holmgren’s case, it may seem like I’ve been tough on him throughout predraft. Nonetheless, I’m just going off the obvious signs and I hope he can overcome these early flaws when it comes to strength, fouling, and finding go to moves. His basketball IQ on both ends is top notch, I just think being a #1 pick is a different level of natural talent and Chet will look pretty normal as a player on an NBA floor. Like many scouts have said, what position he plays will mean a lot, as he has guard-like skills at 7 feet and only weighs 190 pounds.
- Now for another guy with huge questions, Shaedon Sharpe. I can understand the concerns he’s getting right now from certain scouts because he hasn’t played since high school (#1 ranked prospect in the 2022 class), but if you can’t see the potential and athleticism in his game, you don’t know talent. Sharpe’s 49 inch vertical leap and shooting off the dribble are a deadly combination to have in today’s NBA. From his film, he nevers looks sped up and plays at his own pace every possession. His biggest questions remain to be his ability to drive and how he will play against NBA competition. So at the end of the day, Sharpe is still a top 5 pick to me. I just hope he doesn’t slip based on mostly meaningless chatter besides who he’s played against, when Holmgren has just as many flaws that are more clear cut due to him actually playing in college.
- Being compared to Ja Morant is quite the pressure already, and to me, Jaden Ivey is a solid player, but he isn’t Ja. Two major reasons I say this is because Morant’s ability to finish off a pass when he’s running the break for alley oops and the way he finishes strong over multiple defenders off the dribble is something I don’t see in Ivey’s game at all. Their playmaking and speed is very similar, but I see completely different games on offense. Ivey is more of a beat you to the rim on the break type guy and I don’t see the same explosiveness in the halfcourt as Ja. And that’s not a knock on Ivey at all. He definitely has his plays in the halfcourt where he beats you with his quick first step and finishes. I just think Ja’s first step, strength, and hang time in the halfcourt are something we haven’t seen in a long time. Despite his differences from Ja, his athleticism and passing will result in a lot of easy buckets in the NBA with more possessions. Like Holmgren, what position Ivey plays will go into how his career turns out, so hopefully he can run point guard and have the ball in his hands.
