NBA Draft 2022: The former scout reveals who he thinks is the best, comparing him to JA Morant

The 2022 NBA Draft Only a day away and the options for picking the best at this year’s event are still very much on the table.

Chet Holmgren of Gonzaga, Jabari Smith of Auburn, and Paolo Panchero of Duke are all among those who could be taken #1 overall at Orlando Magic Go round the clock Thursday.

A former NBA scout believes Purdue’s outstanding Jaden Ivey is the best player in the draft.

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“I think the guy I would pick first is Jaden Ivey,” Michael Vandegaard, who worked as a scout at Philadelphia 76ers for 18 yearstold Fox News Digital in a recent interview.

“Jaden Ivey is everything (the Memphis Grizzlies keeper) was a Ja Morant and was the same age except he’s bigger, taller, he might be more athletic and an eccentric Ja Morant. I’m telling you Jaden Ivey…and he’s fired a lot better this year. He’s improved Great every aspect of this game. It’s the closest thing I’ve ever seen to a Russell Westbrook or Ja Morant. I absolutely love it.

“I’d consider him a first pick, and I’d be excited to take him, obviously a top five, but if I was staring at number one, I’d totally consider him. And if I had to pick today, I’d say Jaden Ivey. If I’m staring at (#2) or 3, he might be picked there. It wouldn’t shock me if I took him (Oklahoma City Thunder) in the second. I just think that no matter where you get (his) you’ll have a chance of ever having the best player on both ends of the earth, which is more Athletes dynamic in this drag strip with nothing.”

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Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies #12 looks against the Golden State Warriors in the second half of Game Three of the NBA Playoffs Semifinals at Chase Center on May 7, 2022 in San Francisco, California.
(Theron W. Henderson/Getty Images)

Ivey was a consensus pick for the All-American and All-Big Ten Conference first-team squad in 2022 after his second season with Boilermakers. He played in 36 games and averaged 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists before deciding to become a professional.

Holmgren, Smith, and Panchereau also had strong jobs in their schools.

The 7-foot-tall Holmgren was the top defensive player in the 2022 West Coast Conference with an average of 14.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.7 blocks per game. It has been ranked at the top of some dummy drafts.

Wayman Tisdale Award-winning Smith was named best junior men’s basketball player in 2022. He finished his only year at Auburn with 16.9 points and 7.4 rebounds on average per game.

Jaden Ivey #23 of Purdue Boilermakers celebrates with assistant coach Terry Johnson after defeating the Texas Longhorns 81-71 in the second round of the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at the Fiserv Forum on March 20, 2022 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
(Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Banchero was this year’s 2022 ACC Rookie winner. He averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game for Duke

Vandegaard added that he believes Shydon Sharp can develop into a formidable player in the NBA. He was a five-star guard when he graduated Early to play Kentucky. However, he did not play Wildcats and decided to become a professional.

“There are some really high-profile people out there,” he told Fox News Digital. “I’ve even been to Sheldon Sharp. I’ve seen it for the last three years. It’s just a wildcard. But I’ll tell you what, when I saw it a couple of years ago and did some exploring. It was the only thing I saw in the closet of Kobe Bryant when I was a kid in high school.” I absolutely love him. (But) there are some major question marks. We haven’t seen him play at the highest level, but I absolutely love this kid.”

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As a potential underdog pick, Vandegaard mentioned Caleb Hustan as a potential strong pick later in the first round. He played in 34 matches as a student in Michiganaveraging 10.1 points and 4 rebounds per match.

“Not an elite athlete,” Vandegarde said of Houstan, “but he was an elite shooter in high school for many years. He didn’t have an elite season maybe in Michigan but sometimes some of these guys who were amazing in high school turned out to be much better players.” “.

Shaydon Sharp #21 of the Kentucky Wildcats looks on during the first half against the Florida Gators at Robb Arena on February 12, 2022 in Lexington, Kentucky.
(Dylan Boyle/Getty Images)

The draft is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. ET at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Arizona Home of the net. The draft will be broadcast on ESPN.

While Vandegarde was out of basketball for a while, he joined a handful of former coaches who Join CoachTube. The digital platform provides online sports coaching and coaching from those who have been experts in their respective fields.

Vandegarde told Fox News Digital that he’s gotten a lot of good feedback from those who use it.

“It was great. I think the coaches really loved getting their names out there. The world has obviously changed in the last eight to ten years. You used to sell videos at Walmart on the shelves, now everything is moving into a digital age and the feedback has been great” .

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“I think for someone who lives in a certain part of the world or even a certain part of the United States, you don’t have access to elite level gym and training facilities. And I think CoachTube really fits that void.”