2022 NBA mock draft: A breakdown of where Duke's NBA draft hopefuls could land
After making a run to the Final Four in Mike Krzyzewski’s final season, Duke could have plenty of talent go to the NBA in the 2022 NBA Draft. In fact, five players might be first-round talent.
ESPN, CBS Sports and USA Today all dropped updated mock drafts after Tuesday’s NBA Draft Lottery, which saw the Orlando Magic come away with the No. 1 overall selection. The last Duke player to go in the top three was Zion Williamson, who went No. 1 overall to the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 NBA Draft.
But that could change in the 2022 NBA Draft if the three projections are an indication.
Where 2022 NBA Draft analysts project Duke players to land
ESPN: No. 3 overall to the Houston Rockets
CBS Sports: No. 2 overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder
USA Today: No. 2 overall
Banchero is a virtual consensus top-three pick, and some project him to be the No. 1 overall selection. He burst onto the scene at Duke as a versatile power forward, known for his ability off the dribble and as a force down low who averaged 17.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game in 2021-22.
ESPN: No. 8 overall to the New Orleans Pelicans
CBS Sports: No. 12 overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder
USA Today: No. 7 overall to the Portland Trail Blazers
Griffin was a lights-out three-point shooter for Duke in 2021-22, shooting 44.7% from downtown. That makes him an attractive prospect, especially as teams look for three-point shooting help.
ESPN: No. 13 overall to the Charlotte Hornets
CBS Sports: No. 13 overall
USA Today: No. 13 overall
Williams became the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021-22 and led Duke with 2.8 blocks per game. He took quite a leap, and ESPN’s Jonathan Givony argued he could build off that and create a strong pick-and-roll combination with LaMelo Ball, especially since he shot 72% from the field.
ESPN: No. 27 overall to the Miami Heat
CBS Sports: No. 24 overall to the Milwaukee Bucks
USA Today: N/A
Keels is a borderline first-round talent after ranking third on the Blue Devils in scoring in 2021-22. He’s young, but led the Blue Devils with 4.4 assists and 1.4 steals per game last season. That shows his upside, and it could be attractive for teams looking to add some role players.
ESPN: No. 36 overall to the Portland Trail Blazers
CBS Sports: N/A
USA Today: No. 30 overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder
Another borderline first-round pick, Moore was Duke’s second-leading scorer in 2021-22 with 13.4 points per game. But he led the Blue Devils in minutes, proving his toughness and ability to play big stretches.