Who Goes No. 1 in a 2022 NBA Re-Draft?
Oklahoma City dominated Orlando on the road Tuesday night, knocking off the Magic on national television 127-113. The Thunder took every quarter besides the opening frame and led by as many as 21 late in the fourth quarter.
It was a battle between two of the best young cores in the NBA, and Oklahoma City prevailed. Admittedly, the Thunder seems to be a year or two ahead of the Magic in terms of contention, so the outcome makes sense. But on paper, Orlando still has a bright future. Most of that is thanks to Paolo Banchero, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Orlando's star player is a first-time All-Star this year and has the Magic positioned for the playoffs. His addition to the team has sparked success and his potential is through the roof. Banchero wasn't the only star selected in the 2022 draft, though.
That same draft class is the one that changed the direction of the Thunder's franchise. Chet Holmgren was selected No. 2 overall, and the steal of the draft, Jalen Williams, was picked at No. 12. Of course, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the MVP candidate powering the Thunder to the top, but the team wouldn't be nearly as competitive without Holmgren and Williams.
With all three Rising Stars participants in the same class, who would go No. 1 in a re-draft?
Despite Holmgren's two-way impact and Williams' rise to stardom, it still feels like Banchero has a lock on the No. 1 spot. His improvement in year two, and All-Star bid, has been nothing short of incredible.
He has raised his averages to 22.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.3 assists, while shooting 45.6% from the floor. He looks like a true No. 1 option in the future.
No matter the order, Oklahoma City looks like it secured the second and third-best players in the class. Holmgren has turned into the perfect center for the West's second best teams and is anchoring the defense with 2.6 blocks per game. Williams has taken an even bigger year two leap. He's averaging 19.2 points, 4.6 assists and 4.1 rebounds on 54.4% shooting and 45.3% from 3-point range.
Tuesday night against Banchero and the Magic, he dropped 33 points on 12-of-18 shooting.
Banchero likely still goes No. 1, but Holmgren and Williams aren't too far off. Oklahoma City's 2022 NBA Draft haul will be talked about for a long time.
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