2022 NBA Draft Most Underrated Prospects
Smith, Banchero, Holmgren. Those are the three biggest names entering the 2022 NBA Draft that most basketball fans have already gotten acquainted with. However, further down on the draft board lies some fantastic options that any team would be glad to have as a new recruit, and we’re here to highlight some of those names who could just as well be the next big stars of the league.
Nitrobetting is ready to dish out some timely assists to our bettors all throughout the 2022 NBA Playoffs and beyond. This time, let’s know more about the five rookie prospects at the 2022 NBA Draft who are still flying under the radar and could immediately make an impact in their very first year in the pros.
Top 5 Underrated Rookies at the 2022 NBA Draft
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F Nikola Jovic – Mega Basket (Serbia)
We simply can’t get enough of the latest Serbian sensation in Nikola Jovic, who is very well built to excel in the modern-day NBA scene. As a 6-foot-10 power forward who could play shooting guard thanks to his sweet stroke from deep, Jovic is often compared to Dirk Nowitzki with his combination of size and scoring prowess. The two-time Junior ABA League champion and one-time league MVP may need some time to adapt to the NBA’s pace, though, which may be why he’s projected to be taken outside of the top 10 of this year’s draft.
C Christian Koloko – Arizona
Arizona’s Christian Koloko is one of only a handful of players gifted with a natural height of over seven feet tall. The 21-year-old Cameroonian barely got to shine for the Wildcats in his sophomore season, logging in averages of 5.3 points and 4.8 rebounds in 17.3 minutes of action across 19 starts, yet the immense potential for a man his size and mobility is certainly there in the eyes of renowned scouts. In turn, Koloko is expected to be drafted outside the top 20 but still well within range of a first-round selection.
F Wendell Moore Jr. – Duke
A whopping five players from Mike Krzyzewski’s final season in Duke are expected to be drafted in the top 50 of the 2022 NBA Draft, and the 2022 Julius Irving Small Forward of the Year award winner, Wendell Moore Jr., is widely regarded as the weakest prospect out of the bunch. However, Moore’s three-year experience in Durham will serve him well in the big leagues as a versatile forward who could be inserted into any lineup easily as a serviceable backup.
G Terquavion Smith – NC State
A lot of things are working against Terquavion Smith’s chances of being a high draft pick in the upcoming draft. Playing for unheralded NC State and his 160-pound frame are certainly downsides. Then again, the sky’s the limit for Smith, who averaged 17.3 points per game and made 37 percent of his three-point attempts whilst also being accountable for nearly 30 percent of the Wolfpack’s shots. A team in desperate need of a shot-creation guard should definitely give Smith a closer look, as the 2021 North Carolina Mr. Basketball awardee is projected to be a second-round pickup.
G Collin Gillespie – Villanova
Barely making the top 50 prospects lists of most publications is Villanova’s best player of the previous season in Collin Gillespie, who’s finally entering the NBA Draft after serving the full five-year tenure in ‘Nova. Gillespie had his best campaign in his final year for the Wildcats, setting new career-highs of 15.6 points per game along with a 40.9 three-point percentage and 90.5 free-throw percentage. The 22-year-old certainly is at a disadvantage entering the NBA this late into his playing career, but his floor of production will still very much outweigh his ceiling.
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