With the 2022 NBA Draft set to begin on June 23rd, all 30 NBA teams, such as the Magic and the Heat, roughly have one month to gain facts and knowledge regarding the collection of the 2022 NBA draft prospects. With this said, these teams’ scouts, executives, and decision-makers will get their first good examination of these prospects at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, which is scheduled to take place from May 16th to May 22nd. While some prospects’ draft projections will likely remain unchanged following the draft combine, such as Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, and Auburn’s Jabari Smith, some prospects will see their draft projection fluctuate based on their combine performance. With this said, these five draft prospects enter the 2022 draft combine with the most to gain or lose involving their draft positioning.
1. Shaedon Sharpe, PG/SG, University of Kentucky
When Sharpe, the No. 1 recruit in the high school class of 2022, committed to Kentucky, expectations were sky-high for the 6’6″, 200-pound guard. At just 18 years old, Sharpe’s electric playstyle on both ends of the floor captivated the college basketball world, as he was expected to contend for the 2022 Naismith College Player of the Year Award. In spite of this, Sharpe didn’t suit up once for Kentucky, as he sat out the entire 2021-2022 college basketball season, due to personal reasons. Even though Sharpe skipped the entire college basketball season, his intriguing potential and basketball IQ will likely have at least a few teams interested in Sharpe. For some sports general managers, a player’s potential will occasionally trump their lack of production, as shown by Jacksonville selecting Georgia’s Travon Walker No. 1 overall instead of Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson in the 2022 NFL Draft.
Before committing to Kentucky, Sharpe showed just how good he can be at the NBA level while enrolled in High School. Per Cerebro Sports, Sharpe averaged an impressive 22.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 2.7 APG while shooting 36.1% from three-point range in the 2021 Nike EYBL circuit. Sharpe was able to have that sort of success due to his terrific athletic ability. When Sharpe is leading the offense, his quick-twitch athleticism allows Sharpe to elevate when attacking the rim, or to create separation out on the perimeter. Although Sharpe is able to create separation when taking shots, he can be a streaky shooter, and isn’t an advanced playmaker by any means. With this said, Sharpe is a special talent with a limitless ceiling and will likely warrant a top-ten pick in the NBA Draft, but he can solidify that by having a good showing at the Draft Combine.
2. Nikola Jovic, SF/PF, Mega Mozzart of ABA Adriatic
Despite playing an incredibly short stint of basketball overseas, Jovic is one of the most talented prospects in the 2022 draft class and may be the top international prospect. At 6’10” and 209 pounds, Jovic possesses a remarkably versatile game and can do a bit of everything on the court. In just four games this season, Jovic averaged 11.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 1.0 APG while shooting 55.2% from the field, 40.0% from three-point range, and 75.0% from the free-throw line. Jovic’s impressive athleticism and positional versatility allowed Jovic to play the “point-forward” role, where he could lead the offense either by creating scoring opportunities for himself or his teammates. At just 18 years old, Jovic just has an advanced feel for the game, and should translate to the NBA.
While Jovic has had quite the successful career overseas, he has flown under the radar due to his lack of playing time this past season. As previously mentioned, Jovic played in just four of the team’s 26 games, which will concern some scouts and NBA team executives. Even though Jovic scarcely played this past season, he has strong national team experience from playing for the Serbian senior national team in the most recent FIBA Under-19 World Cup. To no one’s surprise, Jovic was named to the all-tournament team, which had other top-prospects Chet Holmgren and Purdude’s Jaden Ivey. If Jovic wants to firmly cement his place as a top-twenty draft pick this summer, then performing well at the draft combine should help.
3. Ousmane Dieng, SF/PF, New Zealand Breakers
When consistently viewing and analyzing NBA draft prospects from college basketball, it’s very easy to overlook the promising talent of the draft prospects playing overseas. As a result of this, Dieng’s draft stock has taken a considerable hit, even though he checks all the boxes as a two-way wing in the NBA. Standing at 6’10” and 205 pounds, Dieng thrived as a ‘point-forward’, due to superb ball-handiling skills and playmaking ability. Dieng’s unique playstyle was quite successful in the National Basketball League (NBL), as Dieng averaged 8.9 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 1.1 APG, and 0.6 SPG in 23 games this season. Dieng was also a solid shooter for the Breakers, going 39.8% from the field and 51.4% on two-point attempts.
While Dieng’s stats may not jump off the page, he is an incredibly raw prospect, as he’s just 18 years-old. It’s also worth noting that the competition overseas may actually be more challenging than that of the NBA, as two-time All NBA Guard Luka Doncic has repeatedly said. With that said, Dieng shouldn’t have too much trouble transitioning to the NBA, as Doncic (Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto), Denver’s Nikola Jokic (Košarkaški Klub Mega Basket), and Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball (NBL) have all made seamless transitions from overseas to America. If Dieng impresses scouts with his measurements and athleticism at the draft combine, then it wouldn’t be shocking to see Dieng be drafted inside the top-fifteen picks.
4. Patrick Baldwin, SF/PF, University of Milwaukee
Over the course of the 2021-2022 season, no player saw his draft stock diminish more than Baldwin did. Part of this can be attributed to playing for a struggling program like Milwaukee. As a former five-star recruit and the No. 4 prospect in the 2021 class, Baldwin decided to commit to Milwaukee to play for his father, while turning down offers from Duke and Georgetown in the process. Unfortunately for Baldwin, the Panthers finished with a 10-22 record and ended up firing Baldwin’s father. In response to this, Baldwin has declared for the NBA Draft, but is in need of a great pre-draft process to boost his low draft stock. This past season, Baldwin averaged just 12.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.5 APG, and 0.8 SPG in 11 games, so health and production are both major concerns for Baldwin.
In addition to this, Baldwin’s 6’9″, 220-pound frame would seem to signal a great spot-up shooter, but Baldwin struggled in college, shooting 34.4% from the field and 26.6% from downtown. While Baldwin’s lack of production in college and inability to stay healthy has caused him to slide in mock drafts, Baldwin offers plenty of upside as a three-&-d wing in the NBA. To begin, Baldwin can score in a multitude of ways when he’s focused and dialed in. Furthermore, Baldwin is just 19 years old, so his struggles at the collegiate level is normal. If Baldwin can have a great showing at the draft combine, then he may elevate himself into the top half of the first round.
5. Blake Wesley, PG/SG, University of Notre Dame
Similar to most draft prospects, the pre-draft process will also be crucial for Wesley, as he projects to be a fringe first-round pick after a solid season at Notre Dame. In his lone season with the Fighting Irish, Wesley didn’t have any trouble leading the offense, as he averaged 14.4 PPG, 3.7 RPG, and 2.4 APG in 29.3 MPG. While shooting wasn’t his strong suit, Wesley was still reliable, shooting 40.4% from the field and 30.3% from three-point range. In reference to his offensive production, Wesley was much more effective at defense, as he posted 1.3 SPG and 1.4 Defensive Win Shares. As a 6’5″, 185-pound two-way guard, Wesley will certainly have value to NBA teams, and may play a role similar to that of Boston’s Marcus Smart or Minnesota’s Patrick Beverly.
With this said, a disappointing combine will damage Welsey’s chances of being selected in the first round, as stronger guards and forwards posted up on him with ease in college. If NBA scouts see Wesley struggle to defend bigger players in the combine’s scrimmages, then Wesley may fall out of the first round altogether. With this aforementioned issue in mind, it is surprising that Wesley didn’t elect to return to Notre Dame in the 2022-2023 season. If Wesley returned to college and improved on this issue, then he may have been drafted with a top-fifteen or top-ten pick in 2023. For now, Wesley needs a good combine if he wants to be selected with a first-round pick this summer.