Nook's 2022 Draft Big Board

7. Taylor Hendricks -
Has really good size and mobility for a long defensive minded wing that can shoot 3's and also rebound. Players that have this tool set and success in college are very much needed by just about every team in the league. He also is a good athlete that has the upside of being a smart passer. I think he lacks the ability to drive or finish well enough to be a star, or he would be higher on this list. There is a good chance that he becomes a well above average long term starter in the league if his improvement continues. He is the type of player that a team will move up to take if he is sitting on the board after 8-9 in the draft. His upside is #5 in this draft and his downside is #9.

8. Jarace Walker -
He is a similar prospect to Hendricks, but some view him more as a 4/5 type and not a 3. I will give him a slightly higher upside than Hendricks because there is a slim chance that he becomes a new age 5 that defends, rebounds and blocks shots inside and can switch on to the perimeter and on offense player outside the lane. With a wingspan that is an elite 7'2".5", he has a little more defensive potential. Offensively he is an underrated passer, and can hit open 3's. The main concern with him is that he will likely struggle more adding volume shooting than Hendricks will.

The next group of players are more flawed. They provide some possible upside or strengths, but also have some weaknesses that are not likely to be fixed, and will need to be covered by scheme or fit.

9. Grady Dick -
He can really shoot it, and has a high offensive aptitude. I would be very surprised if he doesn't become an overall valuable offensive weapon. He can be the type of offensive weapon that Brent Barry was, or JJ Reddick. The concern with him is on the defensive end where he just isn't that good. He has an under-rated wingspan but struggles stopping penetration and keeping position. Players of this type usually end up as top bench players.

10. Cason Wallace -
He has toughness, good feel and aptitude for the game and is smart defensively. I will usually gamble on a player with those qualities. Wallace is a good enough athlete, but he isn't in the same class as the players above him. He is tall enough to guard ones and two's and can distract some 3's on switches but his wingspan is a pedestrian 6'6". Offensively he doesn't finish as well inside as you would like, and needs to be set up. He reminds me a lot of Avery Bradley.

11. Jordan Hawkins -
Doesn't quite have the athleticism that that you want from a starting shooting guard, but he is good enough athletically. He has good enough size, good enough feel for the game, good enough handle. Really, he isn't great at much except possibly shooting. Feels like a Hersey Hawkins type player to me. He won't make a fool out of himself, but there is limitations from an upside perspective. Someone will take him and see if he can become a 15-18 point a game efficient starting shooting guard. He will probably be a guy teams are trying to upgrade from.

12. Leonard Miller -
For a long time there was always a discussion about what he couldn't do. That he wasn't explosive enough as an athlete, that he lacked the dynamic part to his game. Part of that is because he went into the G-League and was compared to top 3 prospects in his draft class. Still, he greatly improved this year and down the stretch. He used his body well to rebound and score inside, and there is still a solid chance he becomes playable from the perimeter as well.

 

Anthony Black and Nick Smith Jr.

They just aren't that good at basketball right now, especially when I paid attention more closely.

 

He can pass and he can get to the line - and that is certainly worth a lot - but he is so bad at a lot of other things, and I don't think he is an elite athlete or shooter.

I was very high on Josh Giddey, but I am not as excited about Black or Nick Smith Jr.

 

They are complicated.

I am always skeptical of athletes that are really raw at basketball.

However, they are a lot different than what a lot of people think they are.

First, it is true that they are not good shooters, especially Amen Thompson. In fact, a year ago they were terrible shooters. They both had their shooting mechanics dumped and completely reworked by Mike Miller. Their touch and feel has improved. Ausar even carried the improvement over into games for awhile. Amen and Ausar visually looked a lot better on their shot as time has gone on. They are very smooth athletes, unlike Westbrook and Rondo and Jason Kidd. That matters, because smoother and more fluid athletes tend to have an easier time improving as shooter.

I expect the Thompson boys to both come into the league as poor shooters and to improve to the point where they are good enough, and maybe more. However, I don't even know if it is going to matter too much in the case of Amen Thompson. He is so good athletically that he can overcome a lot of the issues he has. Guys like Morant, Wade, Wall, Rose and Fox were poor shooters and were Hall of Famers.

Amen Thompson is really that kind of athlete, and I don't mean just as a general athlete but as a basketball athlete. He is 6'7" with a 7'0" wingspan, and is adding muscle on to his broad shoulders. He has an elite vertical, but more importantly he is both explosively quick, fast and has fluid hips. He is like a young Wall/Westbrook in the open court, but he is explosive in tight spaces like Derrick Rose.

It isn't hyperbole - Amen Thompson is that type of athlete.

He is also an excellent natural passer - he has a strong aptitude..... defensively he has all the tools to be excellent, and is known as a hard worker.

I am usually skeptical or players with the profile of Thompson - he is already 20, has a raw shot and plays in a hard to evaluate league - but in the case of Thompson his skills translate leagues.... he is going to be one of the 3-4 best athletes in the entire league, and with his size can even be better than that.

I support the Rockets drafting him at #4, and would take him as high as #2.

Amen Thompson also is an excellent fit with Jalen Green. Defensively Thompson can cover either backcourt spot and lets Green cover point guards. Thompson is also an excellent passer and will get Green open looks on offense - in the open court, Thompson and Green would feed off each other.

The only real weakness green has is shooting the ball, and I think he will improve some in that area.

 

It isn't an ideal fit at first blush, and why a lot of people around the league question how smart it is to sign Harden,

However, there are still ways for Amen to get minutes. He can get all of the back up point guard minutes like you said. He will likely get minutes next to Harden as well, because Amen can defend point guards that Harden cannot.... I also think we will see a three guard rotation with Amen or Harden at the SF spot at times.

Amen will get opportunities cutting and acting as a trailer.

My biggest concerns with Amen is that he is by far the best in the open court/transition and I am not sure Harden is going to want to push the pace in his 30's.

An optimist can look at the pairing and say that Harden buys time for Smith to learn the point and also improve as a shooter.

I read somewhere that someone like Hollinger is afraid that Harden will want to hangout with Amen or Jabari - and the reality is that he is NOT going to want to be friends with any of these guys off the court. Harden is closer to Udoka from a social standpoint than 19-21 year olds. Harden will be free to do his thing, he will go out to Vegas and LA, but will still put more hours in the gym than anyone else on the team.