Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic obtained the number one pick in the NBA draft lottery and should be ecstatic. They took Paolo Banchero from Duke after many thought it would be Jalen Smith or Chet Holmgren. Despite playing few games, the Summer League displayed why they made the pick. Paolo looks to have the combination of size, passing, intelligence, ball handling and overall skill to be an effective player. He’s drawn double teams in rec league games and even has a beef with Dejounte Murray.
The surrounding pieces around Paolo aren’t great, but they have potential to be a more solid team than past years. Franz Wagner at least shows potential to be a solid starter at forward. After being drafted last year, he shot 47% from the field and 35% from three. He has the capability to be a solid, all around player. Jalen Suggs’ rookie year last season had room for improvement. His shooting last season was poor, but he has a lot of potential to be much better this coming season. Another solid addition last year was Wendell Carter Jr. When he was on the floor, the team’s net rating improved by 10 points.
Jonathan Issaac may return. He showed potential to be one of the better defenders in the league when he was healthy. The problem is he hasn’t played in over two seasons. If he can find his way on the floor the Magic have potential for fun and big lineups. There are older players like Terrence Ross and Cole Anthony who are solid players that can provide a veteran presence. Mo Bamba is young and still has room for improvement. The Magic won’t likely make the playoffs in one season; however, they should be good enough to at least be entertaining.
Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder have accumulated a mountain of draft picks and were in the lottery the past two seasons. They obtained the second pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and selected Chet Holmgren. With the addition of Chet, and his potential for stardom, the Thunder may move more towards winning than stocking picks. Chet only helped his case in his summer league debut. He showed the scoring versatility, basketball IQ, and defense (6 blocks!!) that make him a tantalizing prospect.
Following that game, he had struggles due to his size. This posed an issue in his matchup against Kenny Lofton Jr. of the Grizzlies. Kenny used his bulk and lower center of gravity to score inside on Chet. He still showed why the Thunder selected him even if it wasn’t perfect. The combination of his talent and unique archetype make him a fascinating player and it will be interesting to see how he progresses.
There are additional players outside of Chet which should make the Thunder a fascinating team to watch. Josh Giddey also participated in Summer League and showed some progression despite his shot not falling as much. He still showed excellent vision and passing. This provided a preview of what the potential pick and roll game with Chet will look like during the regular season. That dynamic by itself makes the Thunder an interesting team to watch.
The excitement with their extremely young players in addition to likely their best player on the team. Of course, this is in reference to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 6-6″ guard who will be only 24 years of age heading into next season. He has not played at least 60 games since his 2nd year. He has his contract but it will be interesting to see his progression and if he contributes to winning basketball. The Thunder are likely a lottery team next season, but they will be fun. They may have a chance to surprise people.
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets finished with the worst record in the league and only winning 20 games. The team will likely be bad again this year; however, the team has young and interesting talent. That should at least make them exciting to watch. They drafted Jalen Green with their second pick last year. While he struggled with overall efficiency as a rookie, he showed a propensity for scoring in different ways. Defense was a struggle but, his talent level and age means he has potential for improvement in this area. He is not the only young, exciting player on the team.
The Rockets selected Jabari Smith in the 2022 NBA Draft with the third overall pick after most analysts expected him to go number one. Based on his draft profile and Summer League performances, he seems like the perfect fit next to Jalen. He is a 6’10 forward that provides spot up three point shooting and versatility defensively. The Rockets struggled on both sides of the ball and Jabari has the complementary skills to improve the team in all areas. His ability to create his own shot will determine his star potential.
The Rockets have additional young talent featuring makes the team exciting to watch. Kevin Porter Jr was their third leading scorer last year who has also shown good passing potential the past couple of years. It will be interesting to see how much he improves in his fourth year at cutting down on his turnovers and improving his overall efficiency from the field; though, he shot 38% from three last year. Another skilled, young offensive player on the roster is Alperen Sengun who will be only 20 years old next season. Questions remain about his defensive potential at his size playing center but there are few questions about his offensive skillset.
A young player with the opposite issue is Usman Garuba who shows solid potential defensively, but has questions offensively. Despite the deficiencies in their players, it’s noticeable the skillsets compliment each other and they’re in a rebuilding phase. Their best player is likely Eric Gordon at this point. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him in a trade for the future in a similar move to John Wall being bought out this off season. The Rockets are not in a rush to be good again and likely won’t be good next year; however, the talent is exciting and young which makes for an entertaining show on the floor until their time comes.
Detroit Pistons
Thus far, the teams listed were in order of the 2022 NBA Draft lottery. In this case, we turn attention to the Detroit Pistons after skipping the Sacramento Kings. A special acknowledgment to Keegan Murray who won Summer League Final MVP and projects as, at least, a solid player moving forward. The Pistons took the player right after him with their fifth pick in Jaden Ivey. He only played in two games prior to his injury, but he showcased the skills and athleticism that intrigued the Pistons.
It’s easy to see how he received pre-draft comparisons with Ja Morant and how his game compliments Cade Cunningham, their top pick from last year. Cade exhibited signs of improvement as the season progressed and it will be fascinating to watch how much he can improve next year. The backcourt of Cade and Jaden on their own will be interesting to watch, the supporting cast only adds to their intrigue.
Jaden had impressive chemistry with the ultra athletic Jalen Duren who was picked at number thirteen in the 2022 NBA Draft. The pick and roll game with Jaden Ivey provided a potential preview of the connection he could have with Cade this coming season. Kemba Walker was brought in as a solid veteran who can hopefully bring solid play from the bench. His best days are behind him, but if he can overcome his recent injury issues, he could have a positive impact.
The remaining players on the roster are young and arguably still have potential for improvement. Marvin Bagley returns for another year with the Pistons and is still young enough to improve. Saddiq Bey is going into his third season and has a chance at making a leap next year. The Pistons will likely need to make significantly more moves to their roster before becoming a contender. Still, they have a young, fascinating team slowly building up their roster to a team that can provide excitement to a hungry fan base.
