2022 NBA Mock Draft — 10. Jeremy Sochan, Wizards
The Wizards’ offense is generally fine, and should look even better once Bradley Beal and Kristaps Porzingis get a chance to play together. The next step is adding a defensive backbone. Jeremy Sochan is easy to compare to players like Ben Simmons or Draymond Green — not fairly, perhaps, but because he occupies a similar skill set. He’s an absolute beast on the defensive end, with the potential to guard all five positions successfully. With great passing chops and more scoring upside than either name listed above (if not all the same intangibles), Sochan has real potential to reshape how the Wizards play on both sides of the ball.
2022 NBA Mock Draft — 11. TyTy Washington Jr., Knicks
The season ended with a whimper for TyTy Washington Jr., but that should not distract from the obvious talent. New York has been searching for a point guard since the beginning of time, and Washington could quickly rise to the caliber of everyday NBA starter. What he lacks in elite athleticism, Washington makes up for with craft and cleverness. He’s a natural operating out of the pick-and-roll, he’s a capable pull-up shooter, and he would make life easier on the likes of R.J. Barrett and Julius Randle.
2022 NBA Mock Draft — 12. Tari Eason, Thunder
OKC is starting to creep toward relevance with Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey, and now Smith Jr. all on board. Great teams don’t just have stars, though — you need role players to complement the stars. In selecting Eason here, OKC finds another long, athletic forward with one of the highest defensive ceilings in the draft. Paired with Smith and Lu Dort, OKC would have a firm foundation on that side of the ball. Eason loves to play in transition, he can overwhelm smaller players driving down the lane, and he’s unselfish enough to co-exist with the Thunder’s burgeoning core.