After the leaders, the backs and the wingers, make way for the strong wingers of this Draft 2022. A solid position this year, the most convincing of all the positions in terms of star potential, since two of the three places on the podium should be occupied by strong wingers.
1 – Paolo Banchero (19 ans, 2m08, 112kg)
Stats 2021/22 : 17.2 points (47.8% shooting, 33.8% 3-pointers), 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.1 steals
Author of a very good “freshman” season at Duke, Paolo Banchero will be selected on the podium this Thursday evening, most likely in Houston in 3rd position. He is considered the best strong winger of this vintage, even the best player, because his overall potential is perhaps the highest.
Physically ready for the NBA, he is already a developed attacker, especially near the circle. If he does land with the Rockets, his pairing with Jalen Green can be absolutely explosive on pick-and-roll. Besides, it is believed that his outside shot will become an important weapon in his attacking arsenal. If he posted an average success percentage last season (33.4%), which does not prove us right at the moment T, we are betting on fairly rapid progress in this area at the next level, because he will have the time to work on this aspect, and because the mechanics are very fluid for a player of his size.
Overall, Paolo Banchero is surely the most reassuring player of this Draft 2022. We imagine him, in the long term, as the second best player of a team at the top of the table.
Son profil complet: Draft 2022 | Le profil de Paolo Banchero (Duke)
2 – Jabari Smith Jr. (19 ans, 2m06, 99kg)
Stats 2021/22 : 16.9 points (42.9 on shots, 42% at 3-pts), 7.4 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 block, 1.1 steals
We put Jabari Smith Jr. in second position, even if he will certainly be the first choice of the Draft tomorrow, because his offensive background is less complete than that of Paolo Banchero, and therefore his general potential seems lower to us than the former Blue Devil.
In addition, he is much less physically developed, and therefore less comfortable playing near the circle.
On the other hand, the former star of Auburn has no competition for his position in the exercise of outside shooting: 42% success rate on 5.5 attempts per game last season! To tell the truth, Jabari Smith Jr. is perhaps the best shooter of the whole 2022 vintage.
Defensively, his potential is obvious. If he will have to fight physically in the paint, he still shines with his defensive aids, even if he is not really a circle protector. It is especially outside that he is most comfortable, thanks to quick supports. He should be an interior that can be relied on in defense after the “switches” on the screens.
His full profile: Draft 2022 | The profile of Jabari Smith Jr. (Auburn)
3 – Keegan Murray (21 ans, 2m03, 102kg)
Stats 2021/22 : 23.5 points (55.4% shooting, 39.8% three-pointers), 8.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.9 blocks
Considered a safe player, with potential soon to be reached because of his age (22 in August), Keegan Murray lacks the star potential of Jabari Smith Jr. and Paolo Banchero.
But his “all-around” profile and his sober and solid fundamentals make him a coveted player in the Top 10 of this Draft. Able to draw effectively behind the arc, and therefore be a threat on pick-and-pop, he has also shown he can use the long segments to attack the circle, or his size to take the advantage over “mismatch” situations near the circle.
Long segments which also serve him in defense, even if it is feared that his glaring lack of lateral speed is handicapping against outsiders at the first supersonic step of the NBA.
His full profile: Draft 2022 | The profile of Keegan Murray (Iowa)
4 – Jeremy Sochan (19 ans, 2m06, 104kg)
Stats 2021/22 : 9.2 points, 6.4 rebonds
Another player with very high potential, whose impeccable fundamentals suggest room for improvement. During his only NCAA season at Baylor, where he played as a sixth man, Jeremy Sochan demonstrated all the versatility of his game, around an ideal physical profile to evolve on the two winger positions in the NBA.
Thoughtful player and in control of his decisions, despite a limited creative potential, he shines especially close to the circle in attack, for the time being. The 3-point shot is under construction (29.6% on 2.7 attempts), but is gradually acquired by trusting the development of NBA clubs.
Defensively, it’s very serious, thanks to perfect physical attributes to defend in the NBA (2m06, 2m13 wingspan). Jeremy Sochan will be able to defend on the two winger positions, even on “small” pivots.
Overall, the former Baylor represents a not very “flashy” choice, but sure and serious at the end of the “lottery”.
5 – Tari Eason (21 ans, 2m03, 98kg)
Stats 2021/22 : 16.9 points (52.1% shooting, 35.9% 3-pointers), 6.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals
Expected at the end of the “lottery” for the most optimistic, and more generally in the Top 20, Tari Eason is above all a defender with an impressive physical and athletic profile. Powerful and compact in contact, he is active on the passing lines, and was invaluable last year as a second-curtain defender.
However, he lacks consistency in effort and concentration, like the 2.8 fouls committed on average per game last season (in 24.4 minutes).
Offensively, there is still work to be done. If he showed a certain potential in “catch-and-shoot”, his dribbling is not quite developed and does not allow him to create space to take a shot.
His full profile: Draft 2022 | The profile of Tari Eason (LSU)
