2015 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions for Top Freshman Prospects

Freshman early entries will likely rule the top 10-15 picks in the 2015 NBA draft. By my estimation, anywhere from 11-12 of the players selected in the first 15 picks will either be freshmen from the college ranks, or 19- or 20-year-old international prospects.

This mock draft projects the entire first round, but it also spotlights the top-three freshmen in the draft. Just below the table is a prediction for each spotlighted freshman should he land with the team he's tabbed for in the mock. The featured players' names are highlighted in the table.

Pick	Team	Player
1	Minnesota Timberwolves	Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke
2	New York Knicks	D'Angelo Russell, G, Ohio State
3	Philadelphia 76ers	Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China
4	Los Angeles Lakers	Karl-Anthony Towns, PF, Kentucky
5	Orlando Magic	Justise Winslow, SF, Duke
6	Sacramento Kings	Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona
7	Denver Nuggets	Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky
8	Detroit Pistons	Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia
9	Charlotte Hornets	Kelly Oubre, SG, Kansas
10	Miami Heat	Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia
11	Indiana Pacers	Frank Kaminsky, PF/C, Wisconsin
12	Utah Jazz	Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
13	Phoenix Suns	Myles Turner, C/PF, Texas
14	Oklahoma City Thunder	Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
15	Atlanta Hawks (from Brooklyn Nets)	Jakob Poeltl, C/PF, Utah
16	Boston Celtics	Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
17	Milwaukee Bucks	Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas
18	Houston Rockets (from New Orleans Pelicans)	Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame
19	Washington Wizards	Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA
20	Chicago Bulls	Kris Dunn, PG, Providence
21	Toronto Raptors	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona
22	Dallas Mavericks	Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
23	Portland Trail Blazers	Caris LeVert, SG, Michigan
24	Cleveland Cavaliers	Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville
25	Los Angeles Lakers (from Houston Rockets)	R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State
26	Memphis Grizzlies	Christian Wood, PF, UNLV
27	Boston Celtics (from Los Angeles Clippers)	Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia
28	San Antonio Spurs	Delon Wright, PG, Utah
29	Brooklyn Nets (from Atlanta Hawks)	Robert Upshaw, C, Washington
30	Golden State Warriors	Jarell Martin, PF, LSU

Jahlil Okafor

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

If the Minnesota Timberwolves get the top pick in the draft, the best pick for them is still Jahlil Okafor. Karl-Anthony Towns is a great talent, but at the end of the day, his skill set is easier to find than Okafor's. The team already has dynamic young scoring perimeter players in Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins, so there's no need to take Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell or the Congo's Emmanuel Mudiay.

At 6'10.75" tall with a condor-like wingspan of 7'5" and a standing reach of 9'2.5" on a 270-pound frame, Okafor has physical attributes that are rare. When you factor in his excellent footwork, soft touch, ability to knock down mid-range jumpers and rebounding ability, you have a classic big man that no team should be willing to pass on.

No matter where Okafor goes, he's going to make an instant impact as a scorer and rebounder. He must clean up his 51-percent free-throw shooting, but aside from that, his offensive game is as polished as any center coming out of college since Tim Duncan.

On the defensive end, he can struggle to guard more mobile bigs on the perimeter, but he should be average to above average defending on the block. Barring some sort of injury or unfortunate happenstance, you can pencil Okafor in for 15-17 points and eight rebounds per game as a rookie.

D'Angelo Russell

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Some believe Towns and Okafor are the top-two prospects in the draft. I'm not so sure. With all due respect to Towns, Russell is a superstar who has the potential to grow into one of the elite perimeter players in the NBA.

ESPN.com's Fran Fraschilla praises Russell after the latter was named the first Jerry West award winner.

Because the New York Knicks already have Carmelo Anthony on the roster and he does a large amount of his work from the post, it's possible the team could look at Russell or Mudiay with its first pick.

I'm leaning toward Russell right now. How does the Melo and D'Angelo Show sound?

The 19-year-old is simply dynamic offensively with his ability to score off the dribble, rebound and create for his team. He can play either guard spot, and at 6'5" he has excellent length. While he is not a freakish athlete, his ball skills and 41-percent shooting from beyond the arc make him a dangerous scorer.

Perhaps most importantly, he has the swagger and confidence to thrive in New York. Alongside Anthony and potentially a free-agent big, a healthy and available Russell could average 14 points, five rebounds and six assists per game as a first-year player.

Karl-Anthony Towns

As upside goes, Towns may have a little more than Okafor from a skills standpoint.

He has demonstrated that when he gets the ball in the post consistently, he's a load to guard for anyone one-on-one.

As good as he looked in just 21.1 minutes per game as a freshman for the Kentucky Wildcats, Towns only scratched the surface of what he can become. He has some range on his jump shot and can be an elite shot-blocker.

While center isn't his natural position in the NBA, it would be the spot he'd play for the Los Angeles Lakers. It's hard to imagine the Lakers not selecting him should they have the fourth pick and if both Mudiay and Russell are off the board.

Paired with Julius Randle, the Lakers would have one of the most intriguing and compatible young power forward-center tandems in the league. Towns' ability to pass from the high post would seemingly work well with Randle's bruising style close to the basket.

Matched with a returning Kobe Bryant, a surprising Jordan Clarkson and a free agent signing or two, the Lakers might be able to make a legitimate push toward the Western Conference playoffs next season.

It's hard to predict numbers for Towns in L.A. because we don't know which free agents the Lakers can sign, but it seems safe to say he would be a double-figure scorer with solid rebounding numbers in his first year.

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