The Detroit Pistons would love nothing more than to speed up their restoration by landing the number one pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Luck was on their side last season, when they were able to secure the top pick and select Cade Cunningham, who is now the focal point of the rebuild.
Getting him a second potential start to pair with early in his career would be ideal, as the Detroit Pistons already have several of the other pieces teams need to be good.
It appears as though the bottom three teams in the league are pretty much locked in, as the Magic, Pistons and Rockets are separated by at least 3.5 games from the next closest team.
In the last 2022 NBA Mock draft, we looked at the worst-case scenario, but in this one, we’ll take a look at what could happen if the Detroit Pistons land the number one pick for the second year in a row.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Detroit Pistons land pick #1
I don’t think the Detroit Pistons could go wrong by taking any of the top three guys, as all are talented and fill a potential need.
But it’s hard to overlook what Holmgren has been doing lately, and the fact that he has the potential to be the NBA’s next unicorn player.
He is the best rim protector in the draft, can run the floor, handle the ball, shoots 43 percent from 3-point range and has an insane true shooting percentage of 71.3 percent, which would be an NCAA record for efficiency.
The only real weakness in Holmgren’s game are his thin frame and the fact that Gonzaga plays in a weaker conference. Of course, people said Kevin Durant was too skinny too, how did that work out?
When you see the impact Evan Mobley has had on the Cavaliers in terms of defense, it’s easy to see why the Detroit Pistons would be intrigued with Holmgren, as he is an eraser at the rim, can spread the floor and would fit perfectly with what they already have even if they trade Jerami Grant in the offseason.
There is still plenty of time for this to change and the number one pick may just come down to which of the top three performs best in the NCAA tournament. I would also keep the eye on the Detroit Pistons as a team that could trade out of this spot if they get it.
If some other team really wanted one of the top-3 picks over the others, the Detroit Pistons could trade down, still get one of them and grab some additional assets, which I do think is a possibility.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #2
The Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic are currently tied in wins but the Magic have one more loss separating them in the standings, so the NBA’s worst record is still very much up for grabs.
Orlando would be happy with this result, as Smith has a rare combination of size, defense and shooting that pretty much every team is looking for in a forward.
Smith’s biggest strength is shot making, as he can pull up from just about anywhere on the floor and is adept at getting his own shot.
But Smith’s defense has been a bit underrated this season, as he is averaging over a block and a steal per game and has the size to be a plus defender at several positions.
Like I said, I don’t think you can go wrong with these two three picks in just about any order.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #3
The Houston Rockets stay in the 3rd position in this mock 2022 NBA Draft and are able to add another high-level athlete and prospect to their roster.
Drafting Paolo Banchero would give the Rockets a lot of options in the front court, as they could potentially trade Christian Wood, or play him at the five with Banchero, giving them one of the most athletic young cores in the NBA.
The Rockets are already set at guard, and these three prospects really have separated themselves from the pack in the 2022 NBA Draft.
This would be a no-brainer for the Rockets and if this was how it panned out in the top three, all of these teams would walk away happy.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #4
After the top three picks, things get a little murkier, as you have guys like Ivey, who is a solid choice, but also some high-ceiling guys who carry a bit more risk.
In the end, it will probably be Ivey, as his combination of size, athleticism, and scoring make him an ideal two guard and someone who should fit well with Josh Giddey and Gilgeous-Alexander either as a third guard option or coming off the bench.
The biggest question mark around Ivey is his shooting efficiency, but this is a guy who is adept at getting to the line, which will help him overcome it.
Much like Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons, Giddey’s size and versatility make him easy to build around and SGA is going to do his thing no matter who he is on the floor with.
If the Thunder are not enamored with Ivey as a prospect, this would be a great spot to trade out of, as the drop-off between him and the rest of the lottery is negligible and we know OKC is always looking for ways to add assets.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #5
AJ Griffin has been rocketing up draft boards lately after stringing together some strong games and showing that he can be a high-volume 3-point shooter.
Griffin, who will be just 18 at the 2022 NBA Draft, is now shooting 49 percent from 3-point range on just under four attempts a game.
He’s been firing away lately, upping his long-range attempts to 6.6 per game over his last six games and hitting 50 percent of them.
He’d be a great third piece to go with Tyrese Haliburton and Chris Duarte and would give the Pacers one of the best young 3-point shooting teams in the NBA.
With Myles Turner now featured at center, the Pacers could potentially run out a team where all five guys were plus 3-point shooters for their position. Griffin would be the perfect fit for them and the Pacers may be right back into the playoff mix next season if they get him.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #6
Shaedon Sharpe is the biggest mystery of the 2022 NBA Draft because he has yet to play a single minute for Kentucky this season after joining the team at midseason.
It’s possible he will stay in college for another year, but if not, scouts are salivating over his combination of athleticism and shot making, and if he had played in college this season, there is a good chance he’d be in the discussion for the number one pick.
He was the consensus number one high school player in the country this season even though he didn’t play, and no guy in that position has ever fallen out of the top-10 of the NBA Draft.
But considering no one has seen him play outside of high school and exhibitions, teams are going to have to put a lot of stock in his team workouts, which is always a risk, as some guys look great in workouts but not so much against elite competition.
But the Kings already have two young guards and two bigs in Sabonis and Holmes, so taking a chance on a high-upside guy who has a chance to be the best player in this draft is probably smart.
Of course, knowing the Kangz, they will find some way to mess it up, but I do like them to reach here since there isn’t a clear alternative.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #7
It’s hard to believe that Keegan Murray is only the third rated power forward on most people’s big boards, as he has been amazing for Iowa this season.
The 6-foot-8 forward can do a little of everything, as he is averaging more than 23 points, 8.2 rounds, two blocks and 1.3 steals per game.
The concerns about his 3-point shooting have somewhat been alleviated, as he is now over 36 percent for the season, though he projects more as a guy who will thrive in the mid-range and in transition.
He’s a high-IQ player and a versatile defender, so he will fit right in with the Spurs. The only knock against Murray is that he is already 21-years-old, so may not have as high a ceiling as some of the guys behind him, but his floor is much higher and he is a safe bet for the Spurs here.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #8
Davis is another player who has helped himself in recent weeks by stringing together some big games.
He is a tough and physical guard who can take it to the rack with either hand and is adept at finishing around the hoop and in the mid-range.
He is an aggressive defender and a guy who loves the limelight, so he’d be a perfect fit for Madison Square Garden, where they love guys who are not afraid to take the big shot.
The Knicks are a hot mess right now, with a ton of money wrapped up in a team that regressed big time under coach Tom Thibodeau this season. The Knicks are old, expensive and not very good, so pretty much back to their norm.
Some question whether Davis will be able to shoot well enough from long range and whether he is quick enough to beat NBA guards off the bounce, but in this draft, all of the guys outside of the top three have pretty glaring flaws.
It’s nice to have the Knicks back!
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #9
The Trail Blazers could go in a lot of different directions in this draft, including trading this pick to add talent around Damian Lillard and Anfernee Simons, which is exactly what I think they’ll do.
They are still the frontrunner for a Jerami Grant trade, and I can definitely see a scenario where the Blazers trade this pick and someone like Keon Johnson to the Detroit Pistons for Grant.
This would allow them to go after a big-named free agent like Zach LaVine and reload around Lillard with guys who he likes and has played with on Team USA.
But if the Blazers do use the pick, a guy like Duren makes sense, as Nurkic is on the final year of his deal and Duren would give them an athletic rim protector and floor runner who doesn’t need the ball in his hands.
Portland is definitely a team to keep an eye on this offseason for the Detroit Pistons, as they are likely to be busy.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #10
The Trail Blazers own the New Orleans Pelicans’ pick as long as it falls outside of the top-four, so they currently have two picks in the top-10, giving them a ton of options.
If Portland decides not to blow it up and trade Damian Lillard, they could easily trade both of these picks and try to grab impact an impact veteran off a team that is desperate to start over (New York Knicks anyone?)
But assuming that Portland uses these two picks (doubtful), it makes sense to go after guys like Duren and Washington, two players who project to be high-level role players who are not going to need a ton of shots to make an impact.
Washington is a great floor general and takes care of the ball and would fit well with the two guards they already have in smaller lineups.
Again, the Blazers may be the NBA’s busiest team in the offseason as they either start over or try to reload around Lillard. If it’s the latter, expect them to trade these picks in a draft that is pretty top heavy but not that deep with projected stars.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #11
The Memphis Grizzlies are one of the best-run organizations in the NBA, as they are one of the top teams in the Western Conference yet will still get this lottery pick from the Lakers as long as it falls outside of the top 10 of the 2022 NBA Draft.
The Detroit Pistons can learn a lot by how the Grizzlies have managed to be good and add assets at the same time.
This pick came via the New Orleans Pelicans in the Jonas Valanciunas deal and if it does not convey, it turns into a second-rounder, so the Grizz are desperately hoping the Lakers don’t continue their free fall into the top 10.
Either way, the Lakers stink and won’t have a draft pick this season, so that is fun.
Mathurin is a 6-foot-7 shooting guard who projects as a 3-and-D type wing who will fit right in on the Grizzlies.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #12
The Washington Wizards have been in a free fall since early in the season when it looked like they were going to be a contender for the playoffs.
Like the Trail Blazers, the Wizards could go in a number of directions, as they have Bradley Beal headed into the final year of his contract.
He has expressed interest in staying with the team, so the Wizards could decide to re-sign him to a massive extension and effectively make him their Damian Lillard, or they can trade him for assets and start over around some of their youth.
The problem is that they don’t have much young talent to build around, so I could see them extending Beal, and trading this pick for another player to put around him.
If they do keep the pick, Daniels is a guy who has been one of the biggest movers in recent weeks, as his combination of size and all-around skills have drawn some comparisons to Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #13
The Hornets are the number one scoring team in the NBA, so it makes sense for them to try and grab some defense with this pick and Eason is one of the top-rated defenders in the 2022 NBA Draft.
He gets steals, blocks shots, has great length and can run the floor, making him a fit with LaMelo Ball and the high-flying Hornets.
He will grab rebounds and do all of the little things, doesn’t need the ball much to be effective and has a decent 3-point shot that projects to get better.
He’s a versatile forward who has helped himself with some big all-around games against top SEC competition this season.
He can pretty much defend every position on the court, which is exactly what the Hornets need and would potentially allow them to move PJ Washington in the offseason.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #14
The Hawks might be the NBA’s most disappointing team after they made the Eastern Conference Finals last season and are now just 9th in the conference.
They were also one of the teams with the most rumors at the trade deadline, though they ended up being mostly smoke.
That said, the Hawks are primed to make some big changes this offseason, as they have players like Danilo Gallinari, Bogdan Bogdanovic and De’Andre Hunter who they could move for assets or players who are a better fit.
I could definitely see them packaging this pick with one of those guys to try and bring back another player, but if not, Brown is a guy who makes sense for them.
He’s a tough forward with size who would give them another defender and rim runner around Trae Young and doesn’t need the ball in his hands much to succeed.
The Hawks are bound to be busy this summer and will be a team to keep an eye on for blockbuster trades as the 2022 NBA Draft approaches.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #15-20
#15-OKC via Clippers
Jeremy Sochan: Forward, Baylor
A tough defender to complement the high level skill players they already have.
#16-Rockets via Nets
Ochai Agbaji: Guard, Kansas
An older shooting guard who can score from all over and projects as a potentially elite 3-point shooter. Would fit well with what they have now and be ready to play in year one.
#17-Timberwolves
MarJon Beauchamp: Shooting guard, G-League
A tough rebounder who is deadly around the rim and in the mid-range. Would give them some size at the position to go with the guards they have.
#18-Spurs via Raptors
Nikola Jović: Forward, Mega Bemax (Serbia)
A young project player with size to put into their pipeline and develop.
#19-Spurs via Celtics
Walker Kessler: Center, Auburn
A legit seven-footer who is a shot-blocking machine who would potentially allow them to move Jakob Poeltl for assets.
#20-Pacers via Cavaliers
Mark Williams: Center, Duke
A nice complement to Myles Turner as a backup big man, he has a nice bag around the rim, is a plus offensive rebounder and shot blocker.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #21-30
#21-Mavericks
Jaden Hardy: Guard, G-League
#22-Nuggets
Patrick Baldwin Jr.: Forward, Milwaukee
#23-Bucks
E.J. Liddell: Power forward, Ohio State
#24-Nets via 76ers
Jean Montero: Guard, G-League
#25-Bulls
Trevor Keels: Point guard, Duke
#26-Grizzlies via Jazz
Kennedy Chandler: Point guard, Tennessee
#27-Heat
JD Davidson: Point guard, Alabama
#28-Grizzlies
Ismael Kamagate: Center, Paris Basketball
#29-Warriors
Justin Lewis: Forward, Marquette
#30-Thunder via Suns
Blake Wesley: Shooting guard, Notre Dame