Did the Thunder get the two best players from the 2022 Draft?

jalengreen · Post #1 » by **jalengreen** » Sun Nov 16, 2025 3:23 am

https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2022.html

Any other cases of it happening or being close?

EmpireFalls · Post #2 » by **EmpireFalls** » Sun Nov 16, 2025 3:34 am

Yes. I would take them both over Banchero pretty definitively. Chet’s blend of shot blocking and 3 point shooting is the premium skill in the NBA, his defensive impact alone is worthy of top 3. His profile makes the Thunder’s gameplanning so easy

JDub is more efficient and showcases better isolation scoring/playmaking than Paolito… also a better defender.

This will read like PB hate and I do respect that he has a much tougher job as a first option on an offense challenged team but he’s just very frustrating to watch. So many mid ranges, a good but not great defender, scarily bad on-off, just lacking in impact. In 5 years maybe he is the best but the OKC boys are better right now.

One_and_Done · Post #3 » by **One_and_Done** » Sun Nov 16, 2025 6:51 am

Looks like it.

Top10alltime · Post #4 » by **Top10alltime** » Mon Nov 17, 2025 4:04 am

As of right now, sure. Depends on how Jabari Smith will evolve though

Post #5 » by **Doctor MJ** » Mon Nov 17, 2025 3:30 pm

jalengreen wrote:https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2022.html

Any other cases of it happening or being close?

Celtics drafted Russell, Heinsohn, and KC in 1956, which gave them the 3 top player careers among those whose drafting stuck. (Elgin Baylor and Sam Jones would be re-drafted later.)

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bbms · Post #6 » by **bbms** » Mon Nov 17, 2025 5:25 pm

as of now yes, but banchero was expected to be less plug and play than chet if you really know what to look for in a prospect. banchero has a much harder road to match chet's impact just because the learning curve of on ball scorers reaching legitimate high impact is slower

jdub having the best career so far of the class is the true surprise here.

Jaivl · Post #7 » by **Jaivl** » Mon Nov 17, 2025 6:38 pm

Yeah they're both far better than Antonino Bennettino.

-Luke- · Post #8 » by **-Luke-** » Mon Nov 17, 2025 8:01 pm

jalengreen wrote:https://www.basketball-reference.com/draft/NBA_2022.html

Any other cases of it happening or being close?

The Mavs had two of the top 3 players from the 2018 Draft and lost/traded both (Luka/Brunson).

Another draft were a team drafted two of the (arguably) top 5 players is the same Mavs in 1981, when they drafted Aguirre and Blackman. Isiah Thomas would go #1 here.

This also looks like a good place to make my usual bad joke that the Bulls drafted the two best athletes of the 1984 Draft: Michael Jordan and Carl Lewis.