NBA Mock Draft 1.0 (Top 5)

1: Orlando Magic - Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga Big

In 1992 the Magic had the number one pick and chose a young man from LSU by the name of Shaquille O'Neal. In 1993 the Magic again had the number one pick and chose Chris Webber (before promptly trading him away to Golden State). With another lottery blessing in 2004, the Magic again with the number one pick snagged Dwight Howard. Three big men, all hall of fame, franchise changing players chosen by the Magic with the first pick. Armed again with the number one pick now in 2022, the Magic have another opportunity for history to repeat itself. Chet is an incredible shot blocker with extremely good instincts and an high defensive IQ. He has the potential to be the main anchor on an extremely good defense with his height, wingspan, and blocking ability, someone that will always be at least a thought when players are looking to drive to the rim. Early in his career, the weight can pose some serious problems when guarding larger big men, so the Magic may choose to use him in a type of Robert Williams/Giannis role, keeping him off ball and roaming near the paint so he can help on drives and make defensive plays that way. The Magic can afford to do this with the presence of Wendell Carter Jr., who himself is one of the best defensive presences on the inside in the league with defensive field goal percentages at the rim near those of Robert Williams, Rudy Gobert, and Jaren Jackson Jr. With both Carter Jr. and Chet, the Magic could immediately pose one of the most threatening defensive inside presences in the league. On offense, Chet showed flashes of good playmaking and high IQ as well. He was very effective in his role, and showed he has the potential for both a solid jumpshot and ability to create off the dribble. At the end of the day, Chet's draft spot will depend on how teams feel about both his weight and ability to combat injuries at that size, but the potential to become a great player is clearly there.

2: Oklahoma City Thunder - Jabari Smith Jr., Auburn Wing

Out of the teams with the top three picks, the Thunder are the most likely candidate to do something wild and take someone outside of the three players (Holmgren, Smith, and Banchero) that seem to be in a tier above the rest. Assuming they don't do that though, they should choose Jabari Smith Jr., the 6 foot 10 wing from Auburn. Smith is already an elite shot maker with excellent perimeter defense. His mechanics on his shot are a thing of beauty, with the only problem I see as it being a bit of a slow release. If he wants to get easier shots in the NBA he might have to speed it up, but has already shown in college an insane ability to hit shots with defenders draped all over him. If that weren't enough, he can do it both ways: spot-up and off the dribble. Paired with that shot-making ability is an elite perimeter defensive game. He has both the lateral quickness to stay with smaller guards on the perimeter, and the size to bother bigger wings; evidenced by his opponents shooting under 26% against him in college. He would be a good fit for the Thunder, as he could slot in as a modern power forward and would fit really well with the core of Shai, Giddey, and Dort. Shai could develop a nice drive and kick with Smith, while on defense Smith can help cover up for Giddey's defensive inefficiencies on the wing. Jabari has the potential to become an elite scorer who can make tough shots and create for himself while also being the best defensive player on the team - the mold of a true superstar.

3: Houston Rockets - Paolo Banchero, Duke Big

With the third pick in this draft, the Rockets are in a position where they can't really lose with who they pick in this third spot. Whoever falls from this top tier is who the Rockets will most likely take, and with this mock, that player would be Paolo Banchero, the fiery 250 pound power forward from Duke. Paolo is an outstanding athlete, with great size to pair with that athleticism, a deadly combo. Like Smith, he has a knack for getting his own shot, but in a different way. Smith has the ability to rise up and make tough jumpers, while Banchero is elite at getting to the rim and can do it in multiple ways. He has the quickness to blow by slower defenders, or, if they have quicker feet, can bully smaller players to get close to the rim and score with a really pretty spin move and good footwork. He has a good offensive IQ, and his playmaking really improved throughout his year at Duke. He can make good drive and kick passes, and uses the gravity he has to make good reads and create for his teammates. I predict him falling for to the third spot for two reasons. His shooting doesn't project nearly as well as Smith, shooting only 72% at the line while Smith shoots at almost 80%. Banchero's defense is also much more questionable than either Holmgren or Smith, lacking both effort and awareness at times. He has the athleticism to be a good defender, and with the high IQ on offense he's shown flashes of, I see no reason why he can't improve on defense if he puts the work and effort in to improve on that end.

4: Sacramento Kings - Keegan Murray, Iowa Wing

This is the point where the draft could get weird. The Kings could go for the unknown talent in Shaedon Sharpe, or the explosive athlete in Jaden Ivey, but after the trade last year in which the Kings traded their young standout guard in Haliburton, I believe they made the choice to roll with De'Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell as their backcourt of the future. With that in mind, and the knowledge that the Kings are clearly in a mode to win now, Keegan Murray seems like a natural fit for them here at four. Keegan is a good finisher at the rim, regularly scoring contested shots in traffic, and good at running the floor and getting in transition. He is a good cutter, which projects as a good fit with Sabonis who loves to playmake at the four position himself. While he doesn't project as a great shooter, his mechanics are solid and his free throw percentage along with a jump in three point percentage from his freshman to sophomore year suggest he will be at least a threat to shoot from the outside and someone that can keep the defense honest. Possibly the biggest help he would be to the Kings is on the defensive end. While Mitchell is a great defender at his size, he is small, and Sabonis has his defensive struggles at the forward position too. Keegan has great hands and good instincts, with the ability to completely smother ball handlers with his size, and he consistently stays with offensive players on their way to the hoop. The defense of Murray is really the number one reason why I like him here for the Kings, who need to improve their fourth worst defensive rating in the league at 114.8 if they want to keep pushing forward to finally make their first playoff since 2006.

5: Detroit Pistons - Jaden Ivey, Purdue Guard

With Cade Cunningham looking like a future All-NBA player, the Pistons next move is to find his running mate, and at five Jaden Ivey is a great prospect to take a swing at. He could be a perfect fit next to Cade, as their contrasting playstyles would be a problem for future defenses to matchup with. Cade plays at a slow, methodical, patient pace while Ivey is quick, explosive and athletic. Ivey is a complete blast to watch, taking any kind advantage to burst to the cup for an athletic finish. He can easily be classified as the best finisher in the class, using an amazingly quick first step and a variety of moves to get past his defenders or get open shots in transition. If that weren't enough, he can score against bigger defenders and absorb contact to finish in traffic and draw fouls if met at the rim. His sophomore breakout can largely be attributed to a major improvement in shooting, upping his three point percentage from 26% his freshman year to 36% his sophomore year. This meant defenses had to keep him honest giving him more room to work off the dribble and attack. His shooting fell off towards the end of the year, but his attempts did increase and defenses were forced to give him more attention to him out on the perimeter. His mechanics could use improvement, as his feet don't have a consistent set when he shoots and he looks like he pushes his shot. As with a lot of athletic players coming out, his true potential depends on how well he is able to develop his jumpshot. If that is able to improve and defenses are forced to play up on him on the outside, it would make it so much easier for him to do what he is elite at: getting to the basket and finishing.