Now that the 2022 NBA Draft is in the books, fans of the league can go back to doing what they do best. – proclaiming to know more or be ahead of the curve on certain teams and players than the next fan.
Is this phenomenon unique to basketball? Probably not. But when you’re this into the sport yourself, fans like these can seem pretty all-consuming, especially online.
Ranking the top 3 League Pass teams after the 2022 NBA Draft
Admit it, though, when you get something right that not many others did then you too are quick to point out how great you are and dine out on that call for years afterward. It is at this point that I need to bring up the fact that I thought Kawhi Leonard was going to be a superstar from the moment he was drafted. Fair is fair, however, and I was also the person who thought that MarShon Brooks was going to be one of the 15 best players in the league.
Few topics get the hardcore fans as involved as talking about their favorite League Pass teams, because as we all know, their propensity to watch bad teams featuring future stars makes them a better fan than you. If you look beyond the need to one-up each other though, watching these teams trying to find their way is actually a lot of fun.
They lose more games than they win, but amongst that, you can see them integrating high draft picks, trying to create an identity, and deciding which guys are going to be part of the long-term plans.
There is always that one, disgruntled, veteran who would rather be anywhere else than on that team’s bench as well. So without further ado, here are the way too early top three League Pass teams for next season, now that the draft is complete.
Ranking the top 3 League Pass teams after the 2022 NBA Draft: Indiana Pacers
This is a potentially strange place to start because you can be nearly sure that the Indiana Pacers roster is going to look considerably different by the time opening night rolls around. But if we take their group as is right now as the one that will begin the season, then what a mad and intriguing bunch this could turn out to be.
One that might actually surprise a few people on the way to picking up some wins. The Pacers selected Benedict Mathurin with the sixth pick in the draft, and everybody seemed happy with that one. He was probably the best guy to take at that position and one who had solid workouts and who front offices thought said all of the right things and had the right demeanor about him.
His size and athleticism mean he will be worth watching on his own to see how he integrates into the league, but check out some of the other names currently on the roster. Myles Turner, Malcolm Brogdon, Buddy Hield, Ricky Rubio, T.J. Warren, and Chris Duarte. Also, somehow, Lance Stephenson is still listed.
It is a fairly safe bet that one of Turner or Brogdon will be gone by opening night. Leaving the other to frantically scramble and play as hard as they can on a roster full of driven players, to try and work a way out of town for themselves. Hield will also continue to have trade value as long as he continues being one of the best three-point shooters in the league.
Really, though, it will be fascinating to see Duarte and Mathurin play so hard that they keep the team in games, while Brogdon and Turner then try to take over to put themselves in the shop window.
Hield will continue to do his thing (all while not looking like he cares one way or the other), and Warren will try and turn into “Bubble Warren, a.k.a. Michael Jordan,” at all times. With head coach Rick Carlisle overseeing this group, it is going to be a strange ride.
Ranking the top 3 League Pass teams after the 2022 NBA Draft: Orlando Magic
This goes way beyond the Orlando Magic drafting Paolo Banchero with the first pick, even if we’re not totally sure he wants to be there. Banchero alone is going to be must-see television early on because of his polished offensive game being plugged into a Magic roster that has been downright ugly on that end for the longest time.
But if you look beyond that, this is a team that already has Franz Wagner (coming off an excellent rookie season), Jalen Suggs (a less memorable rookie season), Wendell Carter Jr., Markelle Fultz, and R.J. Hampton. Wagner is only going to get better, and next to Banchero, could propel the Magic to a league-average offense.
Suggs has a lot to prove, but the real intrigue shows up at the back of the Magic’s roster. Jonathan Isaac hasn’t played in two years and was drafted by the previous front office. How the hell does he figure in their plans now? If Mohamed Bamba is kept around we will then have to ask… why was he kept around? Bol Bol is somehow on this team.
Fultz continues to show in a smaller market that he has some kind of future in Orlando. That is all well and good, but it also means that Suggs is not going to be the primary ball-handler (absolutely fine), but also that Hampton likely will have to be moved at some point (potentially less fine). Gary Harris is still here, as is Terrence Ross.
On paper, that is a group that could actually be pretty good. Like going for the Play-In good. To add to the intrigue, at some point, the Magic are going to have to switch gears and go for it. Either by watching what they have take massive leaps, or more likely by packaging some players up to go and get a guy. Is this season the year we start to see that happen? If Banchero looks like he is for real early on, then the answer is yes.
Ranking the top 3 League Pass teams after the 2022 NBA Draft: Detroit Pistons
Cut back on your social calendar from Halloween onwards, because the Detroit Pistons are quickly going to become appointment viewing. They somehow, some way, managed to luck themselves into Jaden Ivey with the fifth pick. A player who was so clearly the next best guy after the top three picks, that some actually think he will go on to have a better career than the likes of Chet Holmgren or Jabari Smith Jr.
The real reason you are going to watch is because of the altogether fascinating backcourt duo of Ivey and Cade Cunningham. The two look like they were born to play together, and they are sure to provide highlight plays and high-level offensive output together from the get-go. Running parallel to all of this is the rest of the young guys on the roster fighting for their lives and proving they belong.
The introduction of Ivey takes the pressure off Killian Hayes, to the point where he will likely be tried in a sixth-man role. That in itself will be interesting to watch unfold. A player who the Pistons had high hopes for is suddenly being sidelined in favor of a guy in Ivey who they probably never thought they had a chance at getting (but hey, Sacramento is going to Sacramento).
If Hayes reacts well to this, well then happy days. Isaiah Stewart will be the young big tasked with protecting these guys on the court, and after some of his behavior last season, you can be sure that will be entertaining to watch as well. It looks like the Pistons have figured out the young players that will be the driving force in moving them forward.
That is unlike the Magic, who still have key decisions to make on who to really build around, and the Pacers, who aren’t quite sure yet if they’re coming or going. If you’re looking to watch one young team literally figure some things out in front of your eyes while taking their lumps in the process, then the Detroit Pistons are the League Pass team for you, and for the world, next season.