NBA Draft 2022: Grades for Lakers, Warriors, Magic
The dust from the draft has settled, and the newly christened members of the NBA fraternity are preparing to journey their new homes.
Per usual, the draft was rife with a full package of riveting moments: surprise picks, unexpected rises and slides, and a number of trades.
And now that it's all said and done, Joy Taylor is slipping on her evaluative hat and handing out grades for a number of team performances. Here are her ratings, as revealed Friday on "The Herd."
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Joy Taylor hands out report card grades to the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat and other teams after the 2022 NBA Draft.
Draft picks: Duke F Paolo Banchero (1), Michigan G Caleb Houstan (32)
Taylor's thoughts: "First of all, they made things spicy for everybody, because we had no idea that this was happening. I have no idea what the smoke screen was for, because they had the No. 1 overall pick. But they took Paolo Banchero No. 1 overall out of Duke. They reportedly never hosted him for a workout, and first spoke to him Monday, so this was really a surprise even to Paolo, who found out right before he was drafted. He's a young guy, big NBA body, 6-10, 255 pounds, he's going to put on a little bit more weight. He's ready to go right now, I feel good about it."
Draft picks: Gonzaga F Chet Holmgren (2), France F Ousmane Dieng (11), Santa Clara F Jalen Williams (12), Arkansas F Jaylin Williams (34)
Taylor's thoughts: "They are actually a really good drafting team. They took Chet Holmgren No. 2 overall. He was the most debated player in this draft, very, very thin frame, so everyone is expecting him to put on more weight. But he doesn't really have the frame to put on much more weight, so we'll see how his body develops. He is a great scorer, has unbelievable skills for his size, is a two-way player, great on defense."
Draft picks: Auburn F Jabari Smith Jr. (3), LSU F Tari Eason (17) Kentucky G TyTy Washington (29)
Taylor's thoughts: "Jabari Smith Jr. was projected to go No. 1 overall, and Chet was slotted for OKC. Houston gets Jabari Smith, which is huge for them. He's a sharp-shooting forward and should pair well with Jalen Green. They traded Christian Wood to the Mavericks in the offseason, so this is a good fit for them."
Draft picks: Milwaukee F Patrick Baldwin Jr. (28), Toledo G Ryan Rollins (44), Minas F Gui Santos (58)
Taylor's thoughts: "Everything the Golden State Warriors do is great. They are an unbelievable development team and make great choices. That's why they're a current dynasty. I trust everything the Warriors do, I don't have any questions. They've earned that right."
Draft picks: Michigan State G Max Christie (35)
Taylor's thoughts: "Max Christie is actually a nice player, he's very young, but they have one of the oldest rosters in the NBA. He has a lot of potential to develop. They needed a draft pick, so this was a last-minute thing, which is why I would give them a B. I like that they did get a pick, and Max Christie is going to learn from LeBron James."
Miami Heat: B
Draft picks: Serbia F Nikola Jović (27)
Taylor's thoughts: "I was kind of shook for a second, like, ‘what’s happening here?' It's Nikola Jović, not Jokić out of Serbia. He's an impressive scorer, and I like that because that's what they struggled with."
New York Knicks: Incomplete
Draft picks: Duke G Trevor Keels (42)
Taylor's thoughts: "The Knicks are always a topic of conversation. They made a lot of crazy moves last night, and traded the No. 11 pick."