When you search "2022 NBA Mock Draft," no matter which article you click, you'll likely find the star trio of Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren, Duke's Paolo Banchero and Auburn's Jabari Smith Jr. in some order among the first three picks.
To be clear: in my own most recent Mock Draft, I also placed the three freshmen in that exact order atop the draft board.
All three prospects are unique in their own right as uncharacteristically skilled big men, but in today's perimeter-oriented NBA, why isn't the head-and-shoulders best perimeter player in the draft getting more consideration to crack that top three?
Purdue sophomore Jaden Ivey was electrifying all season, carrying the Boilermakers to the Sweet 16. At 6-foot-4, 195 pounds with a reported 6-foot-9 wingspan, he has all the physical tools to be successful at the next level.
NBA DRAFT BIG 3 SCOUTING REPORTS: Holmgren | Smith | Banchero
This isn't to make it sound like Ivey is any sort of diamond in the rough — he is almost unanimously projected to be the fourth player off the board behind those three bigs — but it doesn't seem like he is considered to be in that top tier, and he should be.
Ivey is a jolt of energy in the backcourt and his game will translate seamlessly to the NBA. But what exactly would the 20-year-old guard bring to the team that selects him?
Jaden Ivey scouting report: Strengths
Ivey plays with an attacking, score-first mentality but possesses the raw passing skills to act as a combo guard and secondary playmaker. His size also allows him to defend any perimeter player, giving him the versatility every NBA team is looking for in today's game.
When Ivey has the ball in his hands, he's as bursty as they come. His ability to start and stop, change direction or change pace in the blink of an eye makes him a nightmare for opposing defenders because of how explosive he is.
BEST NBA DRAFT PROSPECTS BY POSITION: Guards | Forwards | Centers
Just when you think he might slow down and let off the gas, he accelerates like he has a real-life turbo button to blow by his defender and get into the paint.
He invites contact around the rim and levitates when he leaps, using his long arms to create better angles to get a shot off. But sometimes, if the help defender gets in between him and the rim, he'll just go right through you.
That's just vicious.
For a player who plays as fast as he does, his body control is remarkable. At times, he looks like a patient running back trying to find the right hole to explode through, and he does a great job of keeping defenders on his hip once he gets past that first layer of the defense.
In the open floor, he has the ability to shift into another gear that other players at the college level simply cannot reach.
In transition, Ivey looks like he is shot out of a cannon, unstoppable once he gets downhill.
And you see that body control in the second clip, knowing to slow down to avoid an offensive foul, hit a euro step and pick up an and-one.
Even though he prefers to get all the way to the rim when he can, Ivey does have a jump stop and floater in his bag, and he's willing to take what the defense gives him.
His shot creation skills are there and when he's knocking them down, you can start to see his imaginary glass ceiling of potential raising even higher.
Defensively, Ivey is wiry and disruptive. He's active in passing lanes and has quick hands to intercept a pass or poke the ball loose and come away with steals.
He creates chaos with his long arms all over the place and recovers quickly to get back into the play and make something happen.
Generally speaking: a 6-foot-4, physical combo guard who plays with unlimited energy on both sides of the floor, can create for himself and others, and defend multiple positions at a high level – that sounds like a candidate for a top pick in the NBA Draft.
It was only two years ago that Anthony Edwards — who has very similar measurements to Ivey, strength aside — went No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft.
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Banchero, Smith and Holmgren are all more than deserving of the praise they have received but don't be surprised if Ivey challenges that trio to become the best player in the 2022 NBA Draft class.
Jaden Ivey scouting report: Weaknesses
Ivey started the season shooting a blistering 45.2 percent from 3 in non-conference games but cooled off, shooting 21.6 percent in Big Ten play. With that being said, his season-long 36.1 percent shooting from 3 is a major improvement over the 25.8 percent he shot from range during his freshman season, showing promise for the future.
He doesn't shy away from pulling up for jumpers, but his mechanics could use some tweaks as he has a slow, low release and hardly jumps when he shoots. His consistency as a shooter will determine how teams defend him at the next level because as of now, they would likely be willing to sacrifice an open perimeter shot to give his on-ball defender some space to absorb his drives.
Ivey is an active defender, but he could improve on navigating ball screens. It's not from a lack of effort, though, and it is something that will be a main focus during the offseason to prepare him for the pick-and-roll-heavy NBA.
Jaden Ivey NBA player comparisons
Stop me if you've heard this before: Ivey's game resembles Grizzlies superstar Ja Morant. The breakout star of the 2021-22 season, Morant is the new standard bearer in the evolution of the modern point guard, continuing a path blazed by former MVPs Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook.
Very few guards have Morant's combination of explosiveness, fishing ability and vision. Ivey does, or at least projects that way. Many say that if you were to redraft 2019 right now, it's Morant — not Zion Williamson — who should have gone No. 1.
That wasn't a serious consideration at the time, just as it isn't right now with Ivey staring up at the consensus top three. Size will always win out in the eyes of the NBA draft but make no mistake, Ivey's ceiling is every bit as high as the three names likely to be called before his.
