2022 NBA Mock Draft: ESPN shakes up board after season openers

Following tipoff of the college basketball season Tuesday, ESPN released a new 2022 NBA mock draft. The Champions Classic featured perennial powers Kentucky, Duke, Kansas and Michigan State.

Those matchups gave scouts a chance to evaluate some of the best prospects in the class. Below is the first round of the mock draft from expert Jonathan Givony.

2022 NBA mock draft

1. Houston Rockets — PF Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga: The No. 3 overall player in On3’s class of 2021 rankings, Holmgren should make an immediate impact for the Zags. The 7-footer stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, 13 rebounds, seven blocks and six assists in the season opener.

2. Detroit Pistons — PF Paolo Banchero, Duke: Banchero was thrown into the fire right off the bat, playing his first college game against Kentucky on Tuesday. He responded with 22 points (7-11 FG) and seven rebounds.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder — C Jalen Duren, Memphis: Another freshman phenom, Duren joins Emoni Bates to give Memphis a pair of top 10 prospects in 2021. He scored 15 points (7-10 FG) to go with five blocks in their first game against Tennessee Tech.

4. Orlando Magic — PF/C Jabari Smith Jr., Auburn: The NBA lineage is strong with Smith. His father, Jabari Smith Sr., played 10 seasons in the league with a variety of teams. He is also cousins with former No. 1 overall pick Kwame Brown.

5. New Orleans Pelicans — SG Jaden Hardy, G-League Ignite: The No. 1 overall prospect in 2021 according to On3, Hardy opted to forgo the college experience to play in the NBA’s G-League. He has played two games thus far, averaging 15 points and 3.5 assists.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers — SF Caleb Houstan, Michigan: The highest-rated Wolverine recruit since Glenn Robinson III (2012), much is expected from Houstan. He provided 11 points on 2-of-4 from three-point range in the season-opening win against Buffalo.

7. San Antonio Spurs — SF/PF Patrick Baldwin Jr., Milwaukee: The mere presence of Baldwin has resulted in more attention for Milwaukee-Wisconsin than the program has ever received. Rightfully so, as he led the team with 21 points and 10 rebounds in his college debut.

8. Minnesota Timberwolves — SF Peyton Watson, UCLA: A member of the USA U19 team in 2021, Watson helped the squad win gold at the FIBA World Cup. He struggled in the Bruins’ season-opener, shooting just 2-of-11 off the bench for seven points.

9. Boston Celtics — PG/SG Jaden Ivey, Purdue: Ivey was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team this past season after averaging 11.1 points per game. He is expected to be one of the leaders on a Boilmakers team that enters the year inside the top 10.

10. Toronto Raptors — PG/SG Jean Montero, Overtime Elite: A native of the Dominican Republic, Montero became the first international player to join Overtime Elite this offseason. The new league is an alternative to college, allowing top high school players to earn six-figure salaries right away.

11. Memphis Grizzlies (from Lakers) — TyTy Washington, Kentucky: The Wildcats always bring in some of the nation’s top freshmen, and this year is no different. Washington struggled against Duke, shooting just 3-of-14, but better days are on the horizon for the talented guard.

12. Memphis Grizzlies — SF/PF Ousmane Dieng, NZ Breakers: Following in the footsteps of LaMelo Ball, Josh Giddey, and others, Dieng signed a deal with the New Zealand Basketball League. A highly recruited prospect, the 18-year old chose not to play college basketball in what is becoming a more popular decision.

13. Indiana Pacers — C Yannick Nzosa, Unicaja Malaga: Nzosa, who hails from the Congo, has potential to be one of the top international prospects in this class. At 6-foot-11, he has the size, instincts and athleticism to become an elite shot blocker.

14. Charlotte Hornets — SF Trevor Keels, Duke: The freshmen led Duke in its season opener, as Keels finished with 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting. Look for him and Banchero to continue carrying the load for the Blue Devils.

15. Washington Wizards — PG/SG Dyson Daniels, G-League Ignite: Daniels also elected to skip college and enter the G-League. So far he is averaging 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds over two games.

16. Sacramento Kings — PG JD Davison, Alabama: A top 10 player in On3’s class of 2021 rankings, Davison is set to immediately be one of the top guards in the SEC. He led the Crimson Tide with six assists off the bench against Louisiana Tech, while also pouring in 12 points.

17. New York Knicks — SF Ben Mathurin, Arizona: Named to the preseason First Team All-Pac-12, Mathurin is expected to take a leap forward as a sophomore. He averaged 10.8 points and 4.8 rebounds for the Wildcats last year.

18. Atlanta Hawks — SG Max Christie, Michigan State: Christie played the most minutes (31) of any Spartan on Tuesday against Kansas. He finished with just nine points on 2-of-4 from three-point range.

19. Chicago Bulls — PG Kennedy Chandler, Tennessee: One of the top prospects in the 2021 recruiting class, Chandler is likely to play a big role for the Volunteers. He lived up to the hype with 20 points (7-10 FG) in his college debut.

20. Dallas Mavericks — SG Bryce McGowens, Nebraska: Nebraska dropped its season opener to Western Illinois, but it wasn’t the fault of McGowens. He finished with 25 points, including 10-of-12 from the free throw line.

21. Chicago Bulls (from Trail Blazers) — PF Roko Prkacin, Cibona Zagreb: Prkacin is another intriguing international forward in this draft class. He averaged 12.9 points per game on 50% shooting from the field on 9.8 field goal attempts and 35% from three on 2.9 attempts.

22. Denver Nuggets — C Khalifa Diop, Gran Canaria: The 6-foot-11 Sengalese baller is beginning to rise up draft boards. He is regarded by scouts as an elite scorer and rebounder.

23. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Suns) — SF Ochai Agbaji, Kansas: A four-year starter for the Jayhawks, Agbaji is one of the most experienced players on this list. He poured in 29 points against Michigan State, easily surpassing his average of 14.1 from last year.

24. Milwaukee Bucks — C Mark Williams, Duke: Williams didn’t do much offensively, but he came away with three blocks in the Blue Devils’ win against Kentucky.

25. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Clippers) — SF/PF AJ Griffin, Duke: The No. 17 overall player in the 2021 class, Griffin saw limited action in his college debut. He played only 11 minutes, finishing with two points and two rebounds.

26. Houston Rockets (from Nets) — SG/SF MarJon Beauchamp, G-League Ignite: Yet another G-Leaguer makes the first round list, an indicator of the changing times. Beauchamp played for Yakima Valley Community College this past season, averaging more than 30 points over 12 games.

27. Miami Heat — PF Keegan Murray, Iowa: Luka Garza might be gone, but the Hawkeyes are counting on Keegan Murray to make up for some of his production. He poured in a career-high 24 points in the season opener against Longwood.

28. Philadelphia 76ers — PG Nolan Hickman, Gonzaga: Hickman came off the bench to play 17 minutes, scoring 11 points in his college debut. Floor time could be difficult to come by as a newcomer on a loaded Bulldogs roster.

29. Golden State Warriors — SF Nikola Jovic, Mega Mozzart: Jovic is described as a versatile player with point-forward capability. At 6-foot-10, that could create a problem for opposing defenses.

30. Memphis Grizzlies (from Jazz) — PF/C Daimion Collins, Kentucky: The second Wildcat freshman to make this list, Collins is the No. 18 overall player in the 2021 class. However, he played just two minutes against Duke on Tuesday.

Click here to see the second round of ESPN’s 2022 NBA mock draft.