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Sleepers, Steals, and Underrated Prospects

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The 2022 NBA Draft is this Thursday, June 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET; our NBA Draft 2022 sleepers, steals and underrated prospects can be viewed here. The 2022 NBA Draft is the 76th edition, and the event will be televised on ABC and ESPN.

This year’s draft is taking place in Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Our NBA Draft 2022 experts at Basketball Insiders have studied the top sleepers, steals, and underrated prospects. A couple of the best sleepers that come to mind are Jake LaRavia and Wendell Moore Jr.

NBA betting picks, sports betting content and rumors are on the main page.

2022 NBA Draft Sleepers and Steals | Underrated Prospects

There are multiple sleepers in the 2022 NBA Draft. Jake LaRavia is one of them. As a guard, his biggest weakness is his perimeter shooting. Though, his first year in college met expectations. He was selected MVC All-Freshman at Indiana State. Another prospect is Wendell Moore Jr. The junior forward progressed each season under head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Also, Moore Jr. is a top 10 forward. Furthermore, Blake Wesley is our third sleeper pick. While Wesley played better offensively in high school, averaging 26 points and 6.3 rebounds in his junior year, his performance dropped off a smidge in his freshman season at Notre Dame. But he still had a terrific year. This explains why Wesley is one of our sleepers. On Nov. 29, 2021, the guard scored a season-high 24 points in Notre Dame’s 82-72 loss to Illinois.


RELATED: How to Watch the NBA Draft 2022 | Free NBA Draft 2022 Live Stream


Jake LaRavia | Wake Forest

Age: 20| Height: 6’9″ | Weight: 228 lbs. | Position: PG

Jake LaRavia is one of our top sleepers in this year’s draft. He played two seasons at Indiana State and one season at Wake Forest. In his junior year, LaRavia averaged 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game in 33 games played with Wake Forest. Plus, he shot 55.9% from the field and 38.4% from downtown. He had the third-highest field goal percentage in the ACC last season.

To add to that, LaRavia finished his junior season with a total of 55 steals, averaging 1.7 per game and ranking sixth in the ACC. In 2022, the forward was selected second-team All-ACC. On Jan. 22, in Wake Forest’s 98-76 win over North Carolina, he closed out his performance with a career-high 31 points, 10 rebounds and four assists. Perhaps an NBA coaching staff could train LaRavia to play at the same level of intensity he did back in high school.

Wendell Moore Jr. | Duke

Age: 20 | Height: 6’5″ | Weight: 216 lbs. | Position: SF

Next, Wendell Moore Jr. is 6’5″ and weighs 216 lbs. In his 2021-22 junior season at Duke, Moore Jr. averaged 13.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game in 39 games played. Plus, he averaged 50% shooting from the field. And he ranked fourth in the ACC for assists, averaging 4.4 per game.

Along with earning a 2022 All-ACC Tournament first-team selection, he was named to the 2021-22 All-ACC second-team, 2021-22 ACC All-Defense and won the Julius Erving Award. In Duke’s 113-101 loss to Wake Forest on Feb. 25, Moore Jr. scored a career-high 25 points.

On Nov. 12, 2021, he became only the fifth player in Blue Devils history to finish a game with a triple-double. In Duke’s 82-56 victory over Army, Moore Jr. amassed 19 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. He is one of the top forwards in the 2022 NBA Draft, but his profile is still being skipped over by scouts.

Blake Wesley | Notre Dame

Age: 19 | Height: 6’5″ | Weight: 185 lbs. | Position: PG/SG

Blake Wesley is 6’5″ and weighs 185 lbs. In his 2021-22 freshman season at Notre Dame, Wesley averaged 14.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. With a usage percentage of 31.3, he led the ACC in this metric. Usage percentage is an estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while he was active during the game.

In addition to earning a second-team All-ACC selection, he was named to the ACC All-Rookie Team as well in 2022. The guard scored a career-high 24 points in Notre Dame’s 82-72 loss to Illinois on Nov. 29, 2021. Based on numerous NBA mock drafts, either the Timberwolves or Spurs are projected to draft Wesley in the first round. Other sleepers for the NBA Draft 2022 are on the main page.

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RELATED: NBA Draft 2022: Top 10 Best Guard Prospects


Underrated Prospects in the NBA Draft 2022

Our top 3 most underrated prospects in the 2022 NBA Draft are Zach Edey, Nikola Jokic and Malachi Branham. Edey is just an oversized center, and he can help out a number of teams for acquiring rebounds and protecting the rim. According to BetOnline odds, Ousmane Dieng has -275 odds of getting drafted ahead of Branham. Likewise, Branham possesses +185 odds of going ahead of Dieng.

Zach Edey | Purdue

Age: 20 | Height: 7’4″ | Weight: 295 lbs. | Position: C

Moreover, based on the NBA mock drafts we’ve skimmed through, Zach Edey is not receiving the attention he deserves. Is he the next Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Shaquille O’Neale? Probably not. However, a reliable center is hard to come by in the NBA.

The tallest player in league history was Gheorghe Muresan. He is 7’7″ and weighs 303 lbs. But he only played most of five seasons. Then there is Yao Ming, who is 7’6″ and weighs over 300 lbs. Ming played in the NBA for most of seven seasons. These players were arguably too tall for the NBA. In other words, too tall to have a long playing career.

Will Zach Edey follow the same path? Anyway, in his 2021-22 sophomore season at Purdue, Edey averaged 14.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in 37 games played. In 65 games combined in his first two years in the NCAA, he averaged 11.9 points, 6.3 rebounds and nearly 1.0 assist per game.

Last season, he led the Big Ten in rebounds with a total of 117. Also, he finished with a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 36.5, leading all other players in his conference. And Edey finished the 2021-22 season with the best offensive rebound percentage (18.5). The Toronto-born player was selected to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2021. Then, he was selected to the second-team All-Big Ten in 2022.


RELATED: NBA Draft 2022: Top 10 Best Forward Prospects


Nikola Jokic | ABA League

Age: 19 | Height: 6’11” | Weight: 223 lbs. | Position: PF

Another Nikola Jokic playing in the NBA would confuse quite a few fans. For the good news, this player is nothing like the two-time MVP center. This Nikola Jokic is a mammoth forward. He was born in Leicester, England in 2003. In the ABA League, he made his debut on Mar. 19, 2021 with Mega Mozzart (Mega Basket), a professional basketball club based in Serbia. In his team’s 74-65 loss to Split, he finished with 10 points and 9.0 rebounds in 21 minutes played.

In both seasons played in the ABA, Jokic was selected to the Junior ABA League Ideal Starting Five and became a Junior ABA League champion. In 2021, the forward won the Junior ABA League MVP as well. Having said all of this, one of his weaknesses is his physicality. The forward needs to be more aggressive in the paint. Considering he’s nearly 7′ tall, Jokic has to learn how to properly defend the rim. One thing is for sure, Jokic is an excellent scorer. He can shoot over anyone, especially from 3-point range.

Malachi Branham | Ohio State

Age: 19 | Height: 6’5″ | Weight: 180 lbs. | Position: SG

Lastly, Malachi Branham is 6’5″ and weighs 180 lbs. He attended St. Vincent High School. On the RSCI Top 100 list of 2021, the guard ranked 32nd. In his freshman season at Ohio State University, Branham averaged 13.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in 32 games played. He ranked second in free throw shooting percentage (83%) in the Big Ten.

Equally important, the guard shot 49.8% from the field and 41.6% from beyond the arc. He was selected 2021-22 third team All-Big Ten and Big Ten All-Freshman. In addition to those achievements, Branham won the 2021-22 Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Besides comparing weight, the average height of a shooting guard in the NBA is 6’5″. So, he’s already halfway there. Most of all, Branham has the speed and agility to make a big play happen. More underrated prospects for the 2022 NBA Draft are on the main page.

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Brandon Miller hit career-high seven 3s, tied Hornets’ rookie record

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Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller made a career-high seven 3-pointers, tying the franchise rookie record for most in a single game, during Wednesday night’s 118-111 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 6-foot-9 wing recorded 31 points, six rebounds, one assist, and a block in 35 minutes of action. He also finished 11-of-19 (57.9%) shooting from the field and 7-of-13 (53.8%) from 3-point range.

“I wasn’t aware, I was just happy that we got the win,” Miller replied when asked if he knew about tying the Hornets’ rookie record. “With being on a losing streak, I think a win like this can start something great and we’ll try to build off this.”

Miller drained a dagger 3-pointer with 25 seconds left to secure a seven-point lead and help Charlotte snap its five-game losing streak. It was his third 30-point game of his NBA career.

Brandon Miller became the third-fastest Charlotte Hornets rookie to reach 1,000 career points

“He was big,” Hornets coach Steve Clifford said of Charlotte’s No. 2 overall pick in last year’s draft. “He made big plays, and he got going in the second half. Another really good performance.”

Earlier this month, Miller scored his 1,000th career point in his 60th career game against the Phoenix Suns on March 15. He became the third-fastest Hornets rookie to reach the mark behind only Alonzo Mourning (53 games) and Larry Johnson (55 games).

Through 65 games (59 starts) of his rookie season, Miller is averaging 17 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 2.4 3-pointers, and 32 minutes per game while shooting 43.6% from the floor, 36.8% from deep, and 81.7% at the line.

Additionally, Miller is set to become the 11th rookie in NBA history to average at least 15 points and two 3-pointers per game in a season.

Miller would join Allen Iverson (23.5 PPG, 2 3P), Stephen Curry (17.5 PPG, 2.1 3P), Damian Lillard (19 PPG, 2.3 3P), Lauri Markkanen (15.2 PPG, 2.1 3P), Kyle Kuzma (16.1 PPG, 2.1 3P), Donovan Mitchell (20.5 PPG, 2.4 3P), Luka Doncic (21.2 PPG, 2.3 3P), Kendrick Nunn (15.3 PPG, 2.0 3P), Anthony Edwards (19.3 PPG, 2.4 3P), and Jalen Green (17.3 PPG, 2.3 3P).

The Hornets host the Golden State Warriors on Friday.





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Victor Wembanyama 2nd NBA rookie with 300+ combined stls, blks

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San Antonio Spurs forward/center Victor Wembanyama is the first NBA rookie to record 300 or more combined blocks and steals in a season since Shaquille O’Neal in 1992-93.

Wembanyama, 20, has amassed 222 blocks and 79 steals through 64 games, totaling 301. O’Neal logged 286 blocks and 60 steals in 81 games, combining for 346 in his rookie season.

Per multiple NBA betting sites, Wembanyama is the odds-on favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year. Sportsbooks are still showing great odds for Oklahoma City Thunder’s Chet Holmgren.

In San Antonio’s 118-111 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night, Wembanyama posted 19 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and five blocks in 30 minutes of action.

It was his 21st game with five or more blocks, the most by an NBA player before age 21. O’Neal ranks second on the all-time list with 19 games, followed by Anthony Davis (14), Josh Smith (13), and Kevin Garnett (10).

The 7-foot-4 big man also finished 7-of-15 (46.7%) shooting from the floor, 1-of-4 (25%) beyond the arc, and 4-of-7 (57.1%) at the foul line.

San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama leads NBA in blocks, recorded a career-high 10 blocks

Through 63 games (all starts), San Antonio’s No. 1 pick in last year’s draft is averaging 20.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, an NBA-leading 3.4 blocks, 1.3 steals, and 29 minutes per game.

Wemby also leads the league with 217 blocks. He ranks 10th in total rebounds (662), eighth in defensive rebounds (519), 20th in steals, third in defensive box plus/minus (3.0), second in defensive rating (106.7), and sixth in usage percentage (31.8%).

Moreover, in San Antonio’s 122-99 loss against the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 12, Wemby notched 27 points, 14 rebounds, five assists, two steals, and a career-high 10 blocks in 28 minutes played.

He became the fifth NBA player since 1990 to register a triple-double with at least 25 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 blocks in a single game.

It was also the first triple-double with blocks since Clint Capela had 13 points, 19 rebounds, and 10 blocks for the Atlanta Hawks against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Jan. 22, 2021.

NBA sportsbooks show Wembanyama with second-best odds to win NBA Defensive Player of the Year. Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert is the front-runner with 10 games left of the regular season.





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Draymond Green’s first-quarter ejection among fastest in the past decade

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Draymond Green is at it again and has now received his fourth ejection of the campaign. It seems that no matter how much his team has asked him to control his emotions on the NBA floor, he finds a way to impact the game negatively with his low tolerance and aggressive nature. 

This time around, he was thrown out of the match with less than four minutes played on the clock into Golden State‘s clash against Orlando on Wednesday night. It was the forward’s first ejection since his 16-game suspension, which was a special punishment made by the NBA after he hit rival Jusuf Nurkic in the face.

With 8:24 still on the first quarter’s clock, the four-time champ started to argue with referee Ron Acosta after a foul was called on Andrew Wiggins. “It’s unfortunate. He deserved it,” his coach Steve Kerr said after beating the Magic 101-93. “And he’ll bounce back.”

Draymond was called for two technical fouls in a matter of seconds, and earned his ejection. “After a prolonged diatribe, Green directed egregious profane language towards a game official,” explained crew chief Mitchell Irvin, who then said this had nothing to do with the player’s history of misconduct.

Just as the veteran was seen walking to the locker room, his teammate Stephen Curry was visibly frustrated at the situation. Once the contest was over, he recognised how badly they need him on the floor. “We need him. He knows that. We all know that, so whatever it takes to keep him on the floor, for him to be available, that’s what’s got to happen, especially at this time of year,” he said. “I’ve talked to him plenty of times about it, even tonight, and I’ll continue to talk to him as a teammate and a friend.”

Nevertheless, the 36-year-old praised his team for the way they handled themselves on the court and conquered the game. “But it was a beautiful team effort to respond the way we did,” Curry expressed. “We went and took it, and that’s a good sign for us.”

Green didn’t attend the press after the match, but did share his excitement on social media by showing appreciation to his squad. “Great DUB!! Appreciate my dawgs holding it down! On to the next one! BOUNCE BACK!” he wrote on X.

Forward Andrew Wiggins led the Warriors in Draymond’s absence and was recognised by his locker room

Despite Green’s on-court antics earning him an ejection, Andrew Wiggins stayed calm and inspired his team to victory. Just in the first half, the forward dropped 13 points. By the end of the contest, he earned a team-high 23 points, plus 6 rebounds and two blocks over 35 minutes of play.

“Just trying to stay aggressive, trying to do whatever I can to get over the hump and get this win,” he told the press after the win. “We’re desperate. We need every win we can get.”

“He won us the game tonight – plain and simple,” Curry added. “I’m just proud of the way he took that challenge on, that he was assertive and aggressive. Whether he makes or misses shots, I could (not) care less. It’s just the ability for him to just be aggressive and take the shots that he knows he can take, put the pressure on the room, he’s knocking down 3s. Like everything. He had the whole bag working tonight.”

Their coach acknowledged how Golden State came back from a difficult situation. “It was a gutsy effort in tough circumstances, back-to-back, losing Draymond early” coach Steve Kerr shared. “And the guys just competed for 48 (minutes). Obviously, we need every game we could get right now so that’s why everybody was pretty emotional.”





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