Random NBA Mock Drafts and draft notes.

https://sports.yahoo.com/2022-nba-mock-draft-4-stock-risers-in-the-first-round-171449789.html

2022 NBA Mock Draft 4.0: Stock risers in the first round



Krysten Peek
Mon, January 24, 2022, 11:14 AM·12 min read
The top three prospects in the 2022 NBA draft remain the same with Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith and Chet Holmgren playing consistently and competing for the No. 1 spot. At No. 4, it gets interesting. There are a few players who helped their draft stock tremendously to start the second half of the college season.

Shaedon Sharpe is reportedly now eligible for the 2022 draft, but there's a ton of gray area whether he'll enter this year's draft or stick with his original plan and play at Kentucky next season.


Before we break down the latest look at the first round, here are seven players who are shooting up draft boards and where they're now projected in Yahoo Sports' latest mock draft.

Johnny Davis — No. 5 (from No. 9)
No player has climbed draft boards faster than Davis and has impressed scouts with how consistently he is playing at a high level. The guard matchup of the season took place Jan. 3 when Wisconsin played at Purdue. Numerous NBA scouts and front-office personnel were in West Lafayette to watch Davis go head-to-head with Jaden Ivey. Davis put together one of the most impressive performances of the college basketball season with 37 points, 14 rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Since that game, teams in the Big Ten have done whatever they could to stop him offensively. Despite double-teams, Davis still finds ways to score, averaging 24.6 points per game this month. Davis, a former high school quarterback, is looking a little bit like Jalen Suggs 2.0 with his toughness and playmaking ability. Questions still surround his outside jumper and whether or not he can be a primary ball handler in the NBA.


Keegan Murray — No. 6 (from No. 13)
Murray does a little bit of everything from scoring, rebounding, blocking shots and forcing turnovers in 30 minutes per game. Murray went from a three-star prospect in high school to a potential All-American in two years. He is leading the Big Ten in scoring and is shooting 57% from the field. Murray is a grab-and-go forward with a solid handle in the open court and had back-to-back double-doubles last week against Rutgers (13 points, 13 rebounds) and Minnesota (25 points, 10 rebounds).

Shaedon Sharpe — No. 8 (new to list)
Sharpe was the No. 1-ranked player coming out of high school. He left high school early and arrived on the Kentucky campus in November. At first, many believed the NBA would recognize December as his graduation date, making him ineligible for this year's draft, but Sharpe is a true fifth-year senior and could technically play for Kentucky this semester and enter the draft. Head coach John Calipari double-downed on Sharpe still planning on playing at Kentucky for the 2022-23 season, telling reporters before the game at Auburn, “It doesn’t change anything. He plans on being here next year. He’s watching. Whether I play him or not this year, if he’s ready to be in games, I’ll put him in."

There has been no word from Sharpe on what he plans to do, but regardless, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard will be a potential top-10 pick in this draft class or next year's draft. He's one of the most explosive guards and is a walking highlight reel when he has space in the open court. Sharpe has a consistent 3-point shot and reads the defense well off the pick-and-roll.

A.J. Griffin — No. 13 (new to list)
Griffin finally started to see consistent playing time at Duke after limited minutes due to a preseason knee injury. He was a five-star recruit coming out of high school and had a lot of draft hype entering his freshman season. Griffin has great size and is a bully wing who will use his 222-pound frame to punish defenders. He had his best game of the season against Wake Forest where he had a season-high 22 points and added four rebounds. After the impressive performance, future Duke head coach Jon Scheyer gave Griffin high praise in an Instagram post saying, "Shoutout to AJ and his hard work and incredible attitude. The best is yet to come!"

There are still a lot of question marks as to what kind of player Griffin will be at the next level, but he continues to come back from injuries and play at a high level which will give teams late in the lottery a lot to consider about this high-risk, high-reward prospect.

Blake Wesley — No. 16 (from No. 27)
Wesley was an under-the-radar recruit who stayed home to play for Mike Brey at Notre Dame. The 6-foot-5 guard has had an up-and-down season, but he has been more consistent lately. He has averaged 18.3 points in January and racked up 12 steals in six games. Wesley could test the NBA waters and return to improve his draft stock, possibly moving into the top 10 or top five in the 2023 draft (similar to the path Jaden Ivey has taken). Regardless of what Wesley decides, he is now on NBA scouts' radar and is a player to watch.

 

https://nbadraftroom.com/p/2022-nba-mock-draft/

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2952540-2022-nba-draft-big-board-updated-top-50-prospects

https://www.nbadraft.net/