The Detroit Pistons currently find themselves embroiled in another battle for the bottom, as they are just a half game ahead of Houston and Orlando for the worst record in the league.
The Pistons would love to put the restoration in overdrive by drafting another elite talent to pair with Cade Cunningham, Saddiq Bey and Isaiah Stewart for the long term.
While there is no consensus on the top pick, three players have separated themselves from the pack and the Detroit Pistons would love to get one of them.
In this version of our mock 2022 NBA Draft, we just kept the standings as is and didn’t shuffle things up, so the Pistons get the 3rd pick.
We’ve looked at what might happen in the worst-case scenario, as well as what the Detroit Pistons might do if they landed the #1 pick.
But what about #3? If the Detroit Pistons are lucky enough to get the 3rd pick, they might still end up with the best player.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #1
Even though there is no consensus at the top, and Chet Holmgren didn’t have the most satisfying NCAAA Tournament, I still think he will ultimately go first no matter who gets the pick.
Some people are down on the level of competition he faced or the fact that he is skinny, but in the end, his combination of height and skill are going to be too tempting to pass on, as he has Kevin Durant with Rudy Gobert’s shot blocking potential and there just isn’t anyone else whose ceiling is this high.
That doesn’t mean Chet will be the best player, but I do think he’ll be the number one pick and Orlando would be a great fit, as he would be a nice complement to the bigs and guards they already have.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #2
Jabari Smith is another guy whose skillset would fit with almost any roster, as he is a 6-foot-10 forward who can defend and shoot the lights out from long range.
He and Jalen Green would instantly be a dynamic pairing in the pick-and-roll and he’d give the Houston roster an interesting combination of size, skill and defense.
The Rockets won’t draft for need, but they do need 3-point shooting, so Smith would immediately fill a need as well as give them another high-ceiling player to build around.
Like the Magic and Detroit Pistons, Houston is building something nice with young talent and people had better not sleep on Jalen Green next season, as he has come on of late and played more like the guy that some people felt should have been the number one pick. (How’d that turn out btw?)
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Detroit Pistons get the best player with pick #3
Dropping to the 3rd pick could actually work in the favor of the Detroit Pistons, as Paolo Banchero may end up being the best all-around player in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Banchero has been the most impressive of the top picks in the NCAA Tournament is the only one of them that took his team to the Final Four.
He has shown an explosive mix of athleticism and skill, the ability to put the ball on the floor and get to his spots in the mid-range or finish at the rim.
He can shoot the 3-ball, is a willing defender and also happens to be the guy that Cade Cunningham endorses.
Imagine Cade and Paolo, two offensive players with plus size and the ability to create, in the pick-and-roll together for the Detroit Pistons.
He might be the best player and the best fit, though you could easily talk me into either of the top-2 guys as well.
If the Detroit Pistons walk away from this draft with Paolo Banchero and then sign someone like Andre Ayton in free agency, you are going to see me walking around with a big smile on my face for a long time.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #4
This will be tough for OKC, who already have two ball-dominant guards and may end up trading out of this spot if they can get the right deal.
However, I still see Ivey as a nice fit, as both Josh Giddey and SGA play more on the ball and Ivey more off, so I could see the three of them playing together, especially with Giddey’s size and ability to defend up.
Ivey is a consensus top-4 guy for most scouts, so I don’t think the Thunder will reach just because of position.
If the Thunder end up with the 4th pick they will either take Ivey or look to trade back, which might be their best move, as they can pick up additional assets without a huge drop-off in talent.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #5
The 6-foot-8 forward played well in the tournament and has been putting up huge numbers all season.
He is a guy who is not necessarily elite at any one thing, but doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses either, so he will fit into any lineup as a glue guy who can defend, run the floor, score from all three levels and knock down open 3-point shots.
He projects as a high-end 3-and-D guy and while there might be players with higher ceilings in the 2022 NBA Draft, Murray has one off the highest floors and will almost certainly be at least an impact role player at the next level.
Who loves impact role players more than the Pacers? No one.
The Pacers also have a glut of guards and could use some more defense and depth at the forward spot.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #6
The Portland Trail Blazers traded away CJ McCollum and Norman Powell, but that doesn’t mean they are rebuilding.
They will try to reload around Damian Lillard and it’s possible they will pursue Jerami Grant from the Detroit Pistons. I still see the Trail Blazers as the likely spot for Grant, so this is a pick that fans of the Detroit Pistons will be watching closely.
Assuming the Trail Blazers don’t move this pick for Grant or in a sign-and-trade for Zach LaVine, it makes sense for them to grab a wing who can shoot and Griffin fits the bill.
He has shot 45.8 percent from long range this season and would get even better looks with Lillard and Anfree Simons (assuming they re-sign him) getting most of the attention.
I do think Portland will trade this pick but we’ll get into that as the 2022 NBA Draft gets closer.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #7
Shaedon Sharpe is the biggest mystery of the 2022 NBA Draft, so why not send him to the team whose plan is also a huge question mark?
The Kings traded Haliburton, the guard I thought they were going to build around but still have two guards in De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell who appear to be in their long-term plans.
I have no earthy idea what the Kings would do here, and to be honest, I don’t think they do either, as their rebuild has been going on for what seems like decades and they never seem to get any closer to actually being good.
Sharpe hasn’t played at all for Kentucky this season but might be the best player in this draft, as he was the number one rated high school player coming into this season and has a rare combination of size, athleticism and skill at the two guard.
If you are the Kings you have nothing much to lose here, so why not reach for the guy with the most potential?
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #8
The Spurs need talent just about everywhere except for point guard, as they have a lot of nice role players but not many guys who project as stars.
Last year’s surprise pick Josh Primo was one of the “high ceiling but may never get there” variety, so in this draft the Spurs will take a guy who is more of a sure thing.
I really like Johnny Davis’ combination of size, basketball IQ, bucket-getting and swagger, as he is a guy who is not afraid of the big moment and likes to take shots in the clutch.
The Spurs need a guy like this and he would be a nice partner for Dejounte Murray. You never really know what San Antonio will do but a guy like Davis makes a lot of sense for them.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #9
Let’s take a moment here to laugh at the Los Angeles Lakers, who are currently out of the play-in, just blew a 23-point lead to the Pelicans, led by one of the guys they traded for Anthony Davis, and will not have their own draft pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Sorry, but I hate the Lakers.
Meanwhile, the Pelicans are really building something over there, as they already have a quality Big 3 (once Zion Williamson comes back), a bunch of good young role players and potentially two more picks in this draft on the way. (They get to keep the pick they owe to Portland if it falls into the top-4 and the one the Lakers owe them if it falls in the top-10).
In other words, the Pelicans could be the busiest team at the draft and have the ammo to land another star via trade or to add potentially two more top-10 picks to a team already loaded with talent.
Mathurin would fit in perfectly and give them another long wing to pair with Trey Murphy III off the bench. This team is going to be scary if they are ever healthy.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #10
The Wizards could go a lot of directions but it will all depend on what they end up doing with Bradley Beal.
They are in a tough spot, as they don’t want to trade away the face of their franchise, but it might be the only way for them to get back to relevant. After starting hot this season, the Wizards fell apart (even with Beal) and their roster is a bit of a mess.
If they do keep Beal, Washington makes sense, as they are currently running out Tomas Satoransky and Ish Smith, who are a combined 750 years old, as their point guards.
Getting Beal a point guard who can set him up, make plays and take care of the ball would be a smart move and most people have Washington as the best point guard in a draft that doesn’t have many of them.
He might be a reach here, and I could see the Wizards trading Beal for a haul from someone, so pretty much anything is on the table for Washington.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #11
This pick could end up staying with New Orleans, but if it falls out of the top-4, it will go to Portland, who will likely be the busiest team this offseason.
Again, this is a pick they could trade to someone like the Detroit Pistons for Jerami Grant, but for the sake of argument, we’ll say they keep it.
With Nurkic on the final year of his deal, the Blazers could look to shore up their center ranks with a guy like Duren, who will at least be a energy, shot blocking, defense guy at the NBA level.
Duren would potentially allow Portland to let Nurkic walk, giving them even more cap space to pursue free agents and trades around Lillard.
He is still very young but is a guy who won’t need the ball to make an impact and would have a very defined role from the beginning, which is to protect the rim, catch lobs and run in transition.
I think Portland will probably keep one of their picks and trade the other, so if they use that first pick, expect the Detroit Pistons to come calling about this one.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #12
After going all-in on team that vastly overachieved last season, the Knicks are back to their familiar position of having a bloated, underperforming payroll with little hope.
They have a couple of nice young players, but also have a fair amount of money wrapped up in veteran players who may not even want to be there. There are rumblings that Julius Randle already wants out even though he still has a whopping four more years on the extension he just signed.
The Knicks are back, baby!!
Their offseason is likely to be a mess, as they will probably fire Tom Thibodeau (shocker), have to deal with the trade demands of their highest-paid player who no one really wants while trying to convince RJ Barrett to sign an extension.
Don’t worry, Knicks’ fans, I am sure the next big free agent will come to New York!
Sorry.
Eason is one of the best defenders in this class and would give them a possible rim protector and glue guy to replace Mitchell Robinson if he leaves in free agency.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #13
As long as the Hawks have Trae Young, they will look to surround him with guys who can defend, run the floor and grab rebounds and Sochan can do all of those things.
The Hawks are already one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the league, so Sochan’s lack of offense doesn’t matter.
They could decide to buy out Gallinari and not extend De’Andre Hunter, which would potentially open up minutes for a guy like Sochan, who projects to be one of the better defenders in this draft.
He’s a nice complement to Young and John Collins and would give Atlanta’s defense (which is 23rd in points allowed) a boost.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #14
The Hornets have a whole lot of decisions to make this offseason.
I am sure they’d love to get off Gordon Hayward’s contract (good luck!), have to decide whether to re-sign Miles Bridges and extend PJ Washington.
They may decide that this team has hit its ceiling, in which case they could let all of these guys walk (or move them in trades) and start over around Ball and Terry Rozier. I can’t see them taking a step back (even if they should), so I think they will draft a guy who they think can make an impact.
Agbaji is a senior with experience, so he should be able to play right away and would immediately have a skill (3-point shooting) that will play in an NBA rotation, especially with two ball-dominant guards.
The Hornets already have a bunch of bouncy wing types, so grabbing a shooter to put around Ball makes sense.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #15-20
#15-OKC via Clippers
Mark Williams: Center, Duke
A guy who can get interior buckets for the Thunder.
#16-Rockets via Nets
Kennedy Chandler: Point Guard, Tennessee
It makes sense to get a point guard who can set up all of the scorers the Rockets have.
#17-Pacers via Cleveland
Walker Kessler: Center, Auburn
A shot blocking force who would replace Sabonis’ toughness and give the Pacers two plus rim protectors. He’s a nice complement to Myles Turner.
#18-Minnesota Timberwolves
Ousmane Dieng: Forward, NZ Breakers
An athletic forward to develop.
#19-Chicago Bulls
Dyson Daniels: Guard, G-League
If Daniels were to fall this far, the Bulls would be ecstatic and take him regardless of fit.
#20-Spurs via Raptors
E.J. Liddell: Power forward, Ohio State
Has good size and can shoot the 3-ball.
2022 NBA Mock Draft: Pick #21-30
#21- Grizzlies via Jazz
MarJon Beauchamp: Guard, G-League
#22- Denver Nuggets
Patrick Baldwin Jr.: Forward, Milwaukee
#23-Spurs via Celtics
Trevor Keels: Point guard, Duke
#24-Nets via 76ers
Jean Montero: Guard, G-League
#25-Golden State Warriors
Kendall Brown: Forward, Baylor
#26-Dallas Mavericks
Nikola Jović: Forward, Mega Bemax
#27-Milwaukee Bucks
JD Davidson: Point guard, Alabama
#28-Miami Heat
Ismael Kamagate: Center, Paris Basketball
#29-Memphis Grizzlies
Christian Koloko: Center, Arizona
#30-Thunder via Suns
Bryce McGowens: Guard, Nebraska