Peruse the list of players drafted in 2022, and it becomes clear pretty quickly that this class has a chance to be special. And that means whittling it down to a top five is a challenge.

Though this slide is by no means exhaustive, below, you'll find a few names of some of the toughest cuts.

Walker Kessler: By most advanced numbers, Walker Kessler was better than any other rookie in this class, but that had at least a little to do with him being able to focus on a fairly limited role. But even without bringing a ton of playmaking or shooting, he has Defensive Player of the Year upside, which should say a lot about the ceilings of the guys in the top five.

Keegan Murray: Like Kessler, Keegan Murray was almost immediately effective at the NBA level, because he brought what he could and generally stayed away from the rest. That meant high-level floor spacing (he shot 41.1 percent from deep) without a ton of off-the-dribble exploration. That's not to say he can't add that later, but others seem likelier to become offensive focal points.

Jaden Ivey: An explosive guard who can pretty consistently break the first line of defense, Jaden Ivey is one of this class's more dynamic athletes. Terrible scoring efficiency is mildly concerning, but there's more than enough time for the 21-year old to sort that out.

Jalen Duren: Still 19 years old, Jalen Duren was one of this rookie class's more productive players by sheer force of will. Layering the effort he played with on top of explosive athleticism and a 7'5" wingspan makes him look like a potentially menacing rim-runner and rim-protector.

Bennedict Mathurin: There was an extended period in the middle of the season when he struggled to hit shots, but Bennedict Mathurin looked like a possible heat-check-off-the-bench scorer during both the beginning and end of his rookie campaign. He needs to figure out how to shoot more consistently and keep defenses off guard by passing a bit more, but there could be 20-points-per-game upside here.