I don’t know if it’s fair to say that the dust has actually settled—the NBA is already heading full-bore into free agency—but the 2022 draft has come to an end after an extremely memorable night, which began with one of the biggest twists at No. 1 in recent memory, as the Magic took Paolo Banchero. I’m running on fumes and have no patience for writing long introductions anymore, but everyone’s favorite draft post-mortem column is back again. Let’s just get into it and unpack this thing.
Behind the Magic’s big surprise
Let’s start with the biggest story of the night: the Magic successfully pulled off a nearly impossible information-era feat picking at the top of the draft, concealing their intention to select Paolo Banchero at No.