Let’s take a look at how each team fared on draft night
• 13 min read
We live in a society of instant gratification. We scoff and snarl if an online delivery takes more than 24 hours to arrive. We write scathing reviews when more than five minutes pass before our coffee is placed into our hands. And yes, when the NBA Draft is complete, we want to know — right now — exactly how our favorite teams performed.
In reality, of course, drafts can’t truly be judged until at least a few years down the line, when prospects have been given time to grow and be properly evaluated. But what fun is that? We employ draft experts for a reason, so why not give our best analysis based on the picks and moves that have been made?
The 2022 draft started off with a surprise when the Orlando Magic selected Paolo Banchero instead of the predicted favorite Jabari Smith Jr., who ended up going to the Houston Rockets at No. 3. After that there were plenty more unexpected picks, along with some complicated trades that left everybody scratching their heads until the final details came out.
It was a lot to take in, and you might have a difficult time making heads from tails. With that in mind, here are our grades for each NBA team following Thursday’s draft.