Shooting Guard is the modern position of misfits. With super tall creators fitting into the Point Guard of Small Forward position, 2-Guards are in a weird hole. MJ, Kobe, Wade, Pistol, West, Manu, etc. would all be considered points by today’s standards, so what defines a Shooting guard now is essentially anyone that is a non-heliocentric guard. This class has quite a few and they’ve got real potential to be impact players in the league.
Overall rankings are reflections of the latest big board update, and each prospect’s overall position among all 2022 NBA Draft Prospects.
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#7 Overall: Shaedon Sharpe
18: 6’6 200 Wing Kentucky (Canada). Comp= slower Zach LaVine.
Sharpe hasn’t yet played for Kentucky, but his pre-college sample size probably secures him a top 10 spot. The super athlete who can also pull up for shots has a ton of potential and could really make a team happy.
#9 Overall: Johnny Davis
20: 6’5 200 Wing Wisconsin. Comp= Kevin Martin ish.
Davis is probably the best player in college ball right now, his style of play won’t completely translate to the NBA but a lot of things will. I wish his shot was a bit more consistent because that’s the main thing holding him back.
#11 Overall: Jaden Hardy
19: 6’5 185 Wing G-League. Comp= Buddy Hield.
Hardy looks like he should be ore efficient than he is. He is a better creator than his Ignite teammates show and his handle has shown real improvement throughout the year. While he is no longer in contention for the first pick he could still make a lotto team very happy.
#12 Overall: Bennedict Mathurin
20: 6’5 195 Wing Arizona (Canada). Comp= QRich
I struggle with the fact that Mathurin is supposed to be a 3 and D prospect who doesn’t defend super well. Maybe a decreased offensive workload will fix that problem.
#16 Overall: Dyson Daniels
19: 6’6 180 Guard Ignite (Australia). Comp= Malcom Brogdon
Daniels could be up to 6’8 and has some great defense. He is not a primary guard but other than that and some shooting struggles he is a great all around prospect.
#21 Overall: Ochai Agbaji
22: 6’5 215 Wing Kansas (Nigeria). Comp= Josh Richardson
Mathurin but older. Same weaknesses and strengths. Agbaji has greatly improved year over year though.
#24 Overall: Trevor Keels
19: 6’4 221 Guard Duke. Comp= Anfernee Simons on steroids
If I were in Keels’ camp I would be asking him to stay in school. I don’t know that a first round selection is guaranteed but the massive player who gets Lu Dort comps could really help a team if he does stay in the draft.
#25 Overall: Bryce McGowens
19: 6’7 180 Wing Nebraska. Comp= Jamaal Crawford ish
McGowens is another player I think should return for another year. He needs to work on his shot and if that gets ironed out he could be an amazing player for a team.
#26 Overall: Max Christie
19: 6’7 185 Wing Michigan St. Comp= Jeremy Lamb
Christie has shown some great flashes but I could also see him waiting a year to really cash in on some development and ending up in the lotto instead of on the first round bubble.
#29 Overall: Blake Wesley
19: 6’4 170 Guard Notre Dame. Comp= Wes Mathews with less shooting.
Wesley looks like he will be a good defender and scorer but the actual results aren’t there yet. To me he needs to stay in school one more year to really capitalize on his potential.
#30 Overall: Matteo Spagnolo
19: 6’6 190 Point/Wing Vanoli Cremona (Italy). Comp= Spencer Dinwiddie
Spagnolo is someone I need to scout more, he can play 1-3 so I split the difference and made him a 2 guard. He can really do a lot of different things and I like his versatility.
#39 Overall: Alondes Williams
23: 6’5 210 Wing Wake Forest. Comp= Lou Williams Minus.
If Williams wasn’t old enough to get AARP letters he would be in my first round, he’s still a little too raw for me as a 23 year old.
#44 Overall: Heugo Besson
21: 6’3 195 Guard NZ Breakers (France). Comp= Poor Man’s Tyler Herro
I really wish Besson could pass, if he was a point guard he would be immensely more valuable to me and to other NBA teams.
#54 Overall: Isaiah Wong
21: 6’3 180 Guard Miami. Comp= shorter Derrick White
An all around guard who will be solid off his team’s bench. Wong won’t make any all star teams but he will do his job as a bench guard.
#55 Overall: Aminu Mohammed
20: 6’4 180 Guard Georgetown (Nigeria). Comp= Lu Dort
Mohammed should go back to school. He is going to be an NBA player but maybe not this year.
#59 Overall: Mathew Cleveland
19: 6’6 180 Wing Florida St. Comp= Spencer Dinwiddie Ish
Cleveland was projected much higher before his disappointing year at FSU, he still has a lot of size and playmaking for this class but he needs to work on his shooting.
#69 Overall: Terrence Shannon Jr
21: 6’6 209 Wing Texas Tech. Comp= Kelly Oubre
Shannon should have come out last year. He probably cost himself money that he might not get back, he was injured far too often this year.
#70 Overall: Caleb Love
21: 6’4 195 Guard UNC. Comp= Monta Ellis if you squint a little
Love has made strides this year at UNC but probably needs one more year to make the NBA leap. I really like him but not yet.
#71 Overall: Dereon Seabron
22: 6’7 180 Wing NC State. Comp= Marcus Smart with less of a jumper.
I could see Seabron as a solid bench guard/wing in the right situation where his lack of a jumper can be hidden. Look for him to move up this list.
#76 Overall: Will Richardson
22: 6’5 181 Guard Oregon. Comp= Poor man’s Tyrese Haliburton.
I really like Richardson, I am hoping he gets drafted because his all around game would really help a team.
#82 Overall: Kadary Richmond
20: 6’5 180 Guard Seton Hall. Comp= Poor man’s Mike Conley.
Richmond is a fantastic defender but the offense isn’t there yet, hopefully it will be soon.
#88 Overall: Ryan Rollins
20: 6’4 180 Guard Toledo. Comp= Jason Terry
Rollins has risen up boards a lot, I haven’t done enough scouting on him to be comfortable with him in my to 60 but I think I might get there.
#93 Overall: Max Abmas
20: 6’0 161 Guard ORU. Comp= Isaiah Thomas
Abmas is the best shooter in college or at least in the top 5. He is just so small it might not matter how skilled he is.
Jordan Ennis
Jordan Ennis lives in West Africa where he is a pastor at an international church, he also co-hosts the Assisted Development Podcast on the HoopSocial Podcasts feed. He can be found at Assisted Development Podcast on Facebook and @HoopSocialDraft on Twitter.