NBA Mock Draft 2015: 1st-Round Projections and Predictions for Top Big Men

Similarly to the NFL draft—at least in the final two weeks leading up to the event itself—there isn’t much drama near the top of the NBA draft.

Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor are likely to be the top two picks, while D’Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay and Justise Winslow should comfortably round out the top five selections. The order of those five could change, and there could always be a shocker based on where teams land post-lottery, but for now, things seem pretty cut and dry at the top.  

So lets look at where the top big men in the draft—excluding Towns and Okafor—are projected to end up and what they bring to the table.

Even in the point guard dominated league of the modern age, centers will always have value in the early parts of the draft, with a ton of height and an average skill level usually enough to warrant a selection.

So here are the individuals who can be starter-quality players in the league from day one but aren’t expected to be the superstars like Towns and Okafor.

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

Willie Trill Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky

Chris Steppig/Associated Press

Willie Trill Cauley-Stein is probably the top defensive prospect in the draft.

A force all season while paired with the more well-rounded Towns, Cauley-Stein was a traditional defensive center, swatting away weak shots while occasionally adding a thunderous dunk or two in transition just for good measure.

But unlike the big defensive superstars, it isn’t just in the paint where Cauley-Stein shines—it is all over the court.

In today’s NBA, with floor spacing such a key part of almost every team's style of play, having a center that can step out of the paint and play defense on a guard or a wing player is an asset not many have but everyone wants.

Against Notre Dame in the Elite Eight, Cauley-Stein went coast-to-coast with Jerian Grant to alter the final shot that would have won the game for the Irish.

He still has a lot of work to do offensively if he is going to keep pace with the former Kentucky big men that have taken over the league—Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins—but the pieces are there, and Cauley-Stein should be a lock in the top 10.

Prediction: Willie Trill Cauley-Stein to the Charlotte Hornets at No. 9

Myles Turner, C, Texas

Eric Gay/Associated Press

It just seems odd that Myles Turner’s biggest weakness on offense and the thing likely keeping him from being in the debate as a top-five prospect is his ability in the post.

Although he has the height to be a center in the league, Turner doesn’t have the strength or the weight to dominate on the block, which is a key aspect of playing at the 5 in the NBA.

His defense is good not great, which is better than some of the other centers in the class, but those offensive shortcomings are really tough to overlook.

If Turner is taken as a power forward instead of a center by a team, it might benefit the teenager greatly. He can shoot well from the outside and is capable of running the pick-and-roll well, which are things you don’t often see from young centers.

A team will love to have his ability to stretch the floor, and odds are Turner ends up a lottery pick because of his raw talent. Whoever takes him is going to have to transition him to the 4 or try and improve his post game so he can be an every-night starter.

Prediction: Myles Turner to the Indiana Pacers at No. 11

Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Ah, yes, the ultimate question in the draft: Will a team select Frank Kaminsky in the lottery purely based on dance moves?

Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem very likely, but odds are Kaminsky still ends up going near the top of the draft, with a unique skill set that helped earn him nearly every player of the year award in college basketball last season.

At times during the year, Kaminsky would find his zone and become completely unstoppable on the offensive end. Whether it was with his back to the basket or from beyond the arc, he could take over a game single-handedly.

It remains to be seen if Kaminsky can bump down low with the bigger bodies in the NBA, but if he can have any level of success in the post, he will be one of the best value picks in the draft.

The defense isn’t there, but he is another player that can space the floor with the best of the them and could play as either a 4 or a 5, so look for him sometime in the first 10-12 picks of the draft.

Prediction: Frank Kaminsky to the Miami Heat at No. 10