The NBA draft is a player’s best opportunity to be drafted into the league. Since 1947, the NBA has drafted eligible players, typically from college to the league. Below, we are going to review the history of the number 22 draft pick in the NBA.
What is the NBA Draft?
The NBA draft is an annual ceremony, in which NBA teams, through a lottery system, select eligible players from college and the international stage to join their teams. College players who have completed all four years of their education are automatically eligible for the draft.
However, college players who have not completed all four years of their education, but are one-year removed from high school, must declare their eligibility for the draft. In declaring their eligibility, these underclassmen will effectively give up their remaining college eligibility.
For international players, any player older than 22 years old are automatically eligible for the draft. However, any international player younger than 22 years old must declare their eligibility.
How Does the Lottery System Work?
The NBA draft lottery system was revamped for the 2018 season. Looking at these new rules, the 14 NBA teams which did not make the playoffs will be eligible for the first 14 picks in the draft. Under the new system, the NBA Draft Lottery will ensure that the team with the worst overall record in the league will receive no worse than the fifth overall pick.
Similarly, in the new system, the three NBA teams with the worst regular-season records will each have a 14% chance of winning the lottery and the first overall pick. Once the first four teams with the worst records have been selected, the remaining ten teams will continue to pick in inverse order of their regular-season record.
How Does the NBA Draft Work?
Going a bit deeper, and speaking only of the new system, the NBA draft will be televised on ESPN, who will air the results live. Drawings will be conducted to determine the first four picks, with the remaining ten picks being doled out in inverse order of an NBA teams regular-season record.
The actual lottery procedure, however, takes place in a separate room before ESPN announces the results. In this room, a member of the media, an NBA official, and a representative of the accounting firm Ernst & Young are present to ensure no foul play or tampering with the machine.
In this separate room, fourteen ping-pong balls numbered 1-14 will be placed in the lottery machine. The lottery machine used by the NBA is manufactured by Smart Play Company. This company also weighs, measures, and certifies the ping-pong balls before the drawing.
There are 1,001 possible combinations when four balls are drawn out of 14, without regard to their order of selection. Before the lottery, 1,000 of those 1,001 combinations will be assigned to the 14 participating NBA teams.
Once all 14 balls have been placed into the machine, they will be mixed for 20-seconds before the first ball is removed. Similarly, the balls will be mixed for another 10-seconds before the second ball is drawn. Again, the machine will be mixed for another 10-seconds for both the third and fourth picks.
Full History of all 22nd Overall NBA Draft Picks
| PLAYER | TEAM | AFFILIATION | YEAR | ||
| Isaiah Jackson | Los Angeles Lakers | Kentucky | 2021 | ||
| Zeke Nnaji | Denver Nuggets | Arizona | 2020 | ||
| Grant Williams | Boston Celtics | Tennessee | 2019 | ||
| Chandler Hutchison | Chicago Bulls | Boise State | 2018 | ||
| Jarrett Allen | Brooklyn Nets | Texas | 2017 | ||
| Malachi Richardson | Charlotte Hornets | Syracuse | 2016 | ||
| Bobby Portis | Chicago Bulls | Arkansas | 2015 | ||
| Jordan Adams | Memphis Grizzlies | California-Los Angeles | 2014 | ||
| Mason Plumlee | Brooklyn Nets | Duke | 2013 | ||
| Fab Melo | Boston Celtics | Syracuse | 2012 | ||
| Kenneth Faried | Denver Nuggets | Morehead State | 2011 | ||
| Elliot Williams | Portland Trail Blazers | Memphis | 2010 | ||
| Victor Claver | Portland Trail Blazers | Valencia BC (Spain) | 2009 | ||
| Courtney Lee | Orlando Magic | Western Kentucky | 2008 | ||
| Jared Dudley | Charlotte Bobcats | Boston College | 2007 | ||
| Marcus Williams | New Jersey Nets | Connecticut | 2006 | ||
| Jarrett Jack | Denver Nuggets | Georgia Tech | 2005 | ||
| Viktor Khryapa | New Jersey Nets | PBC CSKA Moscow (Russia) | 2004 | ||
| Zoran Planinic | New Jersey Nets | KK Cibona (Croatia) | 2003 | ||
| Casey Jacobsen | Phoenix Suns | Stanford | 2002 | ||
| Jeryl Sasser | Orlando Magic | Southern Methodist | 2001 | ||
| Donnell Harvey | New York Knicks | Florida | 2000 | ||
| Kenny Thomas | Houston Rockets | New Mexico | 1999 | ||
| Brian Skinner | Los Angeles Clippers | Baylor | 1998 | ||
| Ed Gray | Atlanta Hawks | California | 1997 | ||
| Roy Rogers | Vancouver Grizzlies | Alabama | 1996 | ||
| George Zidek | Charlotte Hornets | California-Los Angeles | 1995 | ||
| Bill Curley | San Antonio Spurs | Boston College | 1994 | ||
| Chris Mills | Cleveland Cavaliers | Arizona | 1993 | ||
| Oliver Miller | Phoenix Suns | Arkansas | 1992 | ||
| LeRon Ellis | Los Angeles Clippers | Syracuse | 1991 | ||
| Tate George | New Jersey Nets | Connecticut | 1990 | ||
| Byron Irvin | Portland Trail Blazers | Missouri | 1989 | ||
| Randolph Keys | Cleveland Cavaliers | Southern Mississippi | 1988 | ||
| Reggie Lewis | Boston Celtics | Northeastern | 1987 | ||
| Scott Skiles | Milwaukee Bucks | Michigan State | 1986 | ||
| Jerry Reynolds | Milwaukee Bucks | Louisiana State | 1985 | ||
| Tom Sewell | Philadelphia 76ers | Lamar | 1984 | ||
| Randy Wittman | Washington Bullets | Indiana | 1983 | ||
| Mark McNamara | Philadelphia 76ers | California | 1982 | ||
| Franklin Edwards | Philadelphia 76ers | Cleveland State | 1981 | ||
| Chad Kinch | Cleveland Cavaliers | North Carolina-Charlotte | 1980 | ||
| Kyle Macy | Phoenix Suns | Kentucky | 1979 | ||
| Raymond Townsend | Golden State Warriors | California-Los Angeles | 1978 | ||
| Norm Nixon | Los Angeles Lakers | Duquesne | 1977 | ||
| Johnny Davis | Portland Trail Blazers | Dayton | 1976 | ||
| Clyde Mayes | Milwaukee Bucks | Furman | 1975 | ||
| Truck Robinson | Washington Bullets | Tennessee State | 1974 | ||
| George McGinnis | Philadelphia 76ers | Indiana | 1973 | ||
| Paul Stovall | Los Angeles Lakers | Arizona State | 1972 | ||
| Ted, Hound Dog McClain | Atlanta Hawks | Tennessee State | 1971 | ||
| Doug Cook | Cincinnati Royals | Davidson | 1970 | ||
| Ed Siudet | San Francisco Warriors | Holy Cross | 1969 | ||
| Gene Moore | Milwaukee Bucks | Saint Louis | 1968 | ||
| John Dickson | Chicago Bulls | Arkansas State | 1967 | ||
| Ollie Darden | Detroit Pistons | Michigan | 1966 | ||
| Bob Weiss | Philadelphia 76ers | Penn State | 1965 | ||
| Arthur Becker | St. Louis Hawks | Arizona State | 1964 | ||
| Jimmy Rayl | Cincinnati Royals | Indiana | 1963 | ||
| Chris Appel | Cincinnati Royals | Southern California | 1962 | ||
| Doug Moe | Chicago Packers | North Carolina | 1961 | ||
| Fred LaCour | St. Louis Hawks | San Francisco | 1960 | ||
| Ralph Croswaite | Boston Celtics | Western Kentucky | 1959 | ||
| Wayne Embry | St. Louis Hawks | Miami (FL) | 1958 | ||
| Angelo Lombardo | Philadelphia Warriors | Manhattan | 1957 | ||
| Ron Bennink | Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons | Washington State | 1955 | ||
| B. H. Born | Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons | Kansas | 1954 | ||
| Glenn Kammeyer | Indianapolis Olympians | Central Missouri | 1951 |