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"WINNERS AND LOSERS" OF THE 2022 NBA DRAFT

The 2022 NBA Draft will down the line be one for the history books down the line. Not just about what teams did, but also what teams did not do. It's a blessing to see all of these guys walk across that stage achieving a life long dream they have sacrificed and work so hard for. So many teams I felt had an amazing draft and addressed problems they may have had. On the other hand, a couple teams in my opinion made some confusing decisions. 

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LOSERS: NEW YORK KNICKS (D+)

Draft Picks: None

Starting off with the losers, one of the more talked about teams on draft night that scratched a lot of heads, the New York Knicks. New York has a record of trading down if they do not like any player at the draft position they’re at primarily. But, this time the Knicks actually traded out of the NBA draft, which they did create cap space but it obviously was a huge gamble. For the Knicks to just trade completely out of the draft with full faith they can acquire Dallas' Jalen Brunson or Utah's Donovan Mitchell was quite idiotic to me. I understand New York is a huge market but I can not remember the last time a star player signed there through free agency or a star wanted to go to New York. Most recently, KD and Kyrie avoided  New York and went to Brooklyn. Obviously if the Knicks did happen to get Jalen Brunson or Donovan Mitchell that shuts me right up and would be worth it. But that is a wait and see. As it looks right now to not get any kind of player and only money when the Knicks track record of getting stars to has not been pretty does not have a good look. 

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LOSERS: CLEVELAND CAVALIERS (C-)

Draft Picks: SG Ochai Agbaji(14), C Khalif Diop(39), PF Isaiah Mobley(49), SG Luke Travers(56)

Going into the draft the Cavaliers biggest need and hugest whole in their roster construction was the wing position and the lack there of size at that position. At face value, taking Agbaji is a good pick at 14 as he is a very nba ready guy who will come in and be a good shooter and solid defender. When you draft a player you want them to be going into the best opportunity to grow, play, and flourish. But, taking Agbaji while having Caris LeVert--who they just traded for last season at the deadline--, Isaac Okoro, and Collin Sexton who the team still wants back makes zero sense. Cleveland also has former first round pick Dylan Windler as well who has been forgotten about. None of those guys are really small forwards and primarily will get most of their play time at the shooting guard position. The wing position has been so much of a whole for the Cavaliers they experimented last season with seven foot Lauri Markannen at the small forward, when he is primarly and best as a power forward. The Cavs lately love to change players positions to experiment. With taking Agbaji, it puts the Cavs in a messy situation of possibly trading Caris LeVert, who you again just traded for last season. This puts the Cavs in a messy situation regardless because they're going to have to do something with Isaac Okoro, Sexton, and LeVert. Cleveland is not going to give up on Okoro this early as he will be going into his third season, but taking Agbaji sure as hell hurts Okoros development, opportunity, and play time a lot more than it helps. So once again, it is messy. Letting Sexton walk would be not out of the ordinary though he is a fan favorite and embraces the city of Cleveland heavy if the team is winning like they were last year it will be an afterthought. Ideally, already having small Darius Garland who carries a huge load on offense with his playmaking and scoring, Cleveland should have no more than two shooting guards high in the rotation with the rest filled with tall actual wings and bigs in the future.

 Speaking of big men, taking Khalif Diop and Isaiah Mobley was confusing as well. Again at face value these look to be really solid players with potential. It can be assumed Diop was brought in to possibly have some backup center minutes, if any, but usually Mobley takes up the backup center minutes, as that is his true position. With the Cavs already being big man galore with Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen, Kevin Love, Lauri Markkanen, and Dean Wade as well who was in the rotation, taking two more big man did not make too much sense. While it is a great story to have two brothers playing on the same team and I do love that, what's forgotten about is Isaiah Mobley being able to flourish his last season in USC with his brother Evan leaving the program declaring for the draft. Isaiah's first year he was not really able to show his full capabilities playing behind his brother, now he is back in that exact same position in Cleveland, and it is even worse because Cleveland has a million big men. I do not know much about Khalif Diop prospect wise but I have done my due diligence on Isaiah Mobley and he looks to be a lot more than a g leaguer or a guy to just get drafted just to play behind several big men and not get much opportunity. 

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LOSERS: SAN ANTONIO SPURS (C+)

Draft Picks: PF Jeremy Sochan(9), SG Malaki Branham(20), SG Blake Wesley(25), PG Kennedy Chandler(38)

I really hate to put San Antonio in the "losers" category of draft night but I had to simply because they did two things that were confusing. But the amount of guards the Spurs took with already having plenty of guards was confusing. San Antonio has Lonnie Walker, Devin Vassell, Josh Richardson, Josh Primo, Romeo Langford, and Tre Jones. That is six total guards, and besides Josh Richardson those are five guards who currently are more so projects who need play time and opportunity to develop. You then add Malaki Branham-- who is a great shooting guard to put next to Dejounte Murray and will garner minutes--, Blake Wesley, and Kennedy Chandler. Now while you’re a rebuilding team there is nothing wrong with having more than enough guards in the rotation just letting them play it out and see who fits and who doesn’t. In fact we're seeing that right now in Orlando and Houston. But, having nine guards is too much going on. Obviously the Spurs will likely make trades this offseason to free up some minutes for guys, at least I'd hope. Also I would love if San Antonio tried to draft a big men to back up Poetl or if they wanted to move on from him. But I will say Jeremy Sochan was a GREAT pick at 9 and see him feeling that 4 position very well and playing with a great playmaker in Dejounte. It is also best for Keldon Johnson to slide back up to that 3 spot where I see he plays a little bit better at. 

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LOSERS: PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS (C)

Draft Picks: SG Shaedon Sharpe(7), SF Gabriele Procida(36),  PF Jabari Walker(57)

Going into the draft Portland was one of the loudest teams trade buzz wise and one of the teams I saw to not really keep their pick and to trade it on draft night to better try to construct their roster in hopes of some type of contention with Damian Lillard. I Shaedon Sharpe is going to be a very good and talented player, despite not playing basketball in a while there is risk there though especially going to a team like Portland. The Blazers are not looking to tank are bottom out as it looks with trading for Jerami Grant. But them taking Shaedon sort of puts them right back in the same position they were in just a season ago having Dame, CJ, and Simons. While Shaedon looks to have more size than CJ being listed as 6'6 but Sharpe has been much talked about as a huge boom or bust guy. It puts Portland in a bit of a weird situation because I think it is going to take a few years for Sharpe to contribute the way Portland will need him too if they do want to really contend. Now they still could trade the pick and if they do all of that goes out of the window. But if Portland is going to keep Sharpe wanting to contend they might as well have kept CJ or traded him for a better package rather than bottom out. 

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WINNERS: GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS (A)

Draft Picks: PF Patrick Baldwin(28), SG Ryan Rollins(Trade), PF Gui Santos (55)

The NBA Champion Golden State Warriors had yet another amazing draft. A couple seasons ago in the draft taking a huge steal at 28 in Jordan Poole, I think Dub Nation did that yet again in Patrick Baldwin Jr. PBJ looks to be a do it all forward who can really shoot and with Golden States development team he is really going to turn out to be another player we ask how did he go that low. Ryan Rollins as well in the late second round as well is another high upside player to me who will flourish in Golden State. 

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WINNERS: ATLANTA HAWKS (B)

Draft Picks: SF AJ Griffin(16), Tyrese Martin(51)

ATL was another team rumored to possibly making a trade on draft night with guys like John Collins and Clint Capela in the rumor mill but ended up staying quiet on draft night. But, Atlanta got a perfect wing to pair next to Trae Young out on the perimeter. Griffin was a guy with a seven foot wingspan and great frame I thought the Cavaliers were going to take but they passed at 14. Seeming Griffin did not have the best of workouts with some teams and does have an injury history, teams that lack in the wing department it seems worth the risk given the upside of Griffin. 

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WINNERS: NEW ORLEANS PELICANS(A)

Draft Picks: PG Dyson Daniels(8), PF EJ Liddell(41), PF Karlo Matkovic(52)

The Pelicans probably had my favorite draft of the night, for sure one of. Taking Dyson Daniels at 8 who is going to fit right next to CJ, Ingram, Zion, and the plethora of wings New Orleans has was such a great pick. The defensive and playmaking Daniels will provide will be nice especially next to a smaller score first guard like CJ. Then taking EJ Liddell all the way at 41 was crazy to me how he fell that low. Going into the draft projected to be a first rounder actually. New Orleans now has Zion, Larry Nance Jr, Jonas Valanciunas, Jaxon Hayes, and now EJ Liddell who are all very good. EJ also provides them insurance if they did want to possibly move on from Hayes. 

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WINNERS: SACRAMENTO KINGS (B+)

Draft Picks: SF Keegan Murray(4)

A lot of people were scratching their heads and bashing the Kings for taking Murray over Jaden Ivey but I love the pick for them. For one, it would have been idiotic for the Kings to take Ivey when in the most professional way possibly Ivey made it known and clear as day he did not want to play in Sacramento. When a player does that, it would not make sense for them to ignore that and draft him. So instead they took Keegan Murray who is going to be a great wing next to Fox and Sabonis which is more of what they needed, a wing. It would not have made sense to take a guard when they just traded away Tyrese Haliburton. Murray looks to be a modern small forward with great size and great shot making ability. Good job Sacramento.

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WINNERS: LA LAKERS(B)

Draft Picks: SG Max Christie(35)

I think the Lakers made the right move trading for this 35th overall pick and selecting Max Christie. I see him being another steal not on the same level as Austin Reaves since he went undrafted but a similar scale. Right now after the season the Lakers just had they really do not have anything to lose and Christie coming out of a great program like Michigan State can only help. 

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WINNERS: DETROIT PISTONS(A++)

Draft Picks: SG Jaden Ivey(5), C Jalen Duren(13)

My oh my I do not know where to begin with Detroit. From Jaden Ivey, falling into their lap all the way at 5 to them making the most out of nowhere trades and additions and getting Jalen Duren. Not only are both players great prospects and picks, but I can only imagine how these two will flourish playing with a great playmaker like Cade Cunnigham. Surely we will see flashes of the beauty in this years summer league but man, what a great job Detroit did on draft night. Getting Duren also makes Isaiah Stewart expendable if need be. But the Pistons future with Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, Saddiq Bey, and Jalen Duren looks beautiful and very promising. Man!!!!

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WINNERS: OKC THUNDER(A++)

Draft Picks: C Chet Holmgren(2), SF Ousmane Dieng(11), SF Jalen Williams(12), C Jaylin Williams(34)

Lastly the OKC Thunder had one of the best drafts to recent memory. Obviously we all know the talent and franchise cornerstone that is Chet Holmgren, to add on top of that trading for the 11th pick getting Ousmane Dieng who is a player I really like that can develop into a great player, then getting Jalen Williams with the next pick and Jaylin Williams early in that second round was amazing. OKC can now continue their futuristic tall lineups with a 6'10 small forward in Dieng and a very long and lanky giant in Chet Holmgren next to their 6'9 point guard Josh Giddey. Guys like Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams are going to be great role players next to those guys as well. It is time for OKC to start competing and figuring things out rather than just continuing to draft and add a plethora of picks to a team. 

All in all though, every team necessarily did not have a terrible draft so do not take the term "loser" too close to heart. As for most of the "losers" listed, it will be a wait and see after the offseason is over to make sense of their entire situation(s).