I reviewed an expert draft last week, and this will be my final simulation before the 2022-23 season. I picked sixth this time around in a CBS H2H points league draft and locked in on the Brooklyn Nets' pair of superstars in the early rounds despite their injury problems in recent years. Sometimes you have to take risks to win big, and I did just that by banking on the potential of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Should I have avoided them because of recent history?
Here's the full draft board for the 12 teams involved in my simulation. Check it out to get feedback on what I felt were my best and worst picks:
There's no shortage of talent on the Brooklyn Nets, and Ben Simmons will finally join the Eastern Conference squad on the hardwood in 2022-23. Kevin Durant will undoubtedly act as the top scoring option and could have to carry a heavy load while Simmons eases back into things after a heavy layoff. Scoring will be a given with Durant, especially because the Nets have no clear third option at the moment. He could easily score 30 or more points per game to go along with 6.0 rebounds. His career-high 6.4 assists per game last season convinced me to take a leap of faith on him early in this mock.
Bam Adebayo might've been a bit of a reach at 19th overall, but the Miami Heat's worrisome frontcourt depth makes me think that the big man could be in for his best season yet. His playmaking dropped off once Kyle Lowry came to South Beach, but he nearly notched career highs in points, rebounds, and steals in 2021-22. He'll need to be a defensive anchor while Miami's power forward position is a question mark.
Dejounte Murray and Kyrie Irving felt like clear steals in the third and fourth rounds. Murray's already flirting with triple-doubles despite sharing a backcourt with Trae Young. Irving matched a career-high with 27.4 points per game while being in and out of the lineup. He won't start of this season as a part-time player and will have to be Durant's 1b.
Collins felt like a whiff, and I would've preferred to grab a player like Josh Giddey in that spot, but I ran out of time and had to make a choice. He's a respectable power forward, but I like several selections more in the later rounds.
Maxey seems poised to make another leap and averaged 20.0 points while shooting better than 63 percent from the field and beyond the arc through his first three preseason games. He's shot the cover off the ball with efficiency and will get an abundance of good looks alongside a healthy James Harden and Joel Embiid. His stock is rising each day getting fringe All-Star level production in the seventh round could be a big-time win.
Gordon Hayward should play more with Miles Bridges in limbo, and Jamal Murray will be useful once he gets back to game speed, but I wasn't crazy about either of those picks. I am optimistic about Cam Johnson in the 12th round though, as the stretch four could step into a starting role with Jae Crowder seeking a new team. He posted 16.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game as a starter in 2021-22 and could build on those numbers with less depth at his position.
Caris LeVert is getting the first crack at the Cleveland Cavaliers' starting small forward spot, and Jonathan Kuminga seems likely to play a larger role for the Golden State Warriors behind Draymond Green. However, Killian Hayes might end up being my favorite pickup in the final three rounds. The French guard appeared destined to be buried behind Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey, but his confidence is on the rise ahead of his third NBA season. He averaged an impressive 7.4 assists per 36 minutes as a rookie, and his shooting stroke has shown improvement in recent outings. He's piqued my interest as an undervalued sleeper and could get a lot more time than expected as he becomes a more well-rounded player on offense.
