Best Potential Fits for Top 10 2015 NBA Draft Prospects
In an ideal world, every NBA prospect would land with a team that allowed him to play to his strengths. And in that same world, every team would get a guy who'd fill a specific need.
Let's live there for a little bit.
Based on positional needs, style of play and 2015-16 roster projections, we matched each one of our top 10 2015 NBA draft prospects with a team he'd fit best with.
If a prospect is projected to be chosen in the top five, only teams expected to compete for a top-five pick were considered as fits. The same goes for projected top-10 picks and lottery picks.
1. Jahlil Okafor, Duke, 6'11", C, Freshman
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Projected Draft Range: Top Three
Best Fit: Milwaukee Bucks
Jahlil Okafor has the potential to give the Milwaukee Bucks something they don't currently have—an offensive-minded, high-percentage go-to big man in the paint.
Standing 6'11", 270 pounds, he's got 50 pounds on John Henson and 35 on Larry Sanders. Okafor is a different type of big man from what the Bucks are currently working with. He's a guy you can feed the ball and expect to create a good look, whether it's off a spin move, jump hook or the power game.
He also plays to the team's length—Okafor sports a massive 7'5" wingspan to go along with those quick feet and soft hands.
The fact that he happens to be Jabari Parker's boy from Chicago only raises the Okafor-Milwaukee compatibility score.
2. Emmanuel Mudiay, China, 6'5", PG, 1996
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Projected Draft Range: Top Three
Best Fit: Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are actually one of the few projected lottery teams without a long-term answer at the point. And Emmanuel Mudiay has as much perceived upside as any teenage point guard since Kyrie Irving.
If I'm Mudiay, I'm rooting for those Lakers to stink as much as possible. Their first-round pick goes to the Phoenix Suns unless it lands in the top five, something that seems entirely possible after watching the Golden State Warriors smoke them by 41 points in the preseason.
Mudiay will play the upcoming season in China, where his role will be somewhat uncertain. However, there isn't much doubt regarding the height of his ceiling. Not even a quiet year abroad will keep teams from viewing him as a top-three pick.
With 6'5" mismatch size and athleticism to go along with a mean handle, exceptional vision and sharp skills, it's tough not to think of John Wall when breaking down Mudiay's strengths and weaknesses.
Given the Lakers' need for a floor general and the assumption that their season could be a nightmare, from the surface, this seems like an ideal fit for both parties involved.
3. Karl Towns Jr., Kentucky, 7'0", C, Freshman
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Projected Draft Range: Top Five
Best Fit: Boston Celtics
There isn't much upside bottled up in the Boston Celtics frontcourt. Kelly Olynyk is a nice player, but "nice" is upgradable.
The potential tied to Karl Towns Jr. is huge. At 7'0", he's a fluid athlete with unique versatility and advanced skills, from post play and passing to outside shooting.
Towns looked fantastic during Kentucky's summer trip to the Bahamas, where he faced off against legitimate international competition. And it wouldn't be surprising to see his name surface in the No. 1 overall discussion.
The Celtics need to be looking for major building blocks here, and after drafting a guard and a wing in 2013, chances are they start looking big. Only Jahlil Okafor is built and wired a little too much like Jared Sullinger. Towns might be the better fit, both from a skill set and upside standpoint.
4. Stanley Johnson, Arizona, 6'7", SG/SF, Freshman
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Projected Draft Range: Top 10
Best Fit: Utah Jazz
Stanley Johnson fits the mold of a young Ron Artest or Kawhi Leonard—athletic, physical wings who lock down defensively and play through contact.
And the Jazz lack this type of two-way presence.
Offensively, his strengths lie in the drive-and-slash game, where he's tough to keep from getting to the rack. And though his perimeter-scoring repertoire is still a work in progress, we've seen encouraging signs with regard to Johnson's one-on-one skills and outside shot.
He's a likely impact player from opening night in Arizona and arguably one of the safest options projected to declare in 2015.
5. Kelly Oubre, Kansas, 6'7", SF, Freshman
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Projected Draft Range: Top 10
Best Fit: Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers need a scoring wing like I need a five-star massage.
They might want to keep an eye on Kelly Oubre, whose game and upside are fueled by high-level athleticism and dangerous offensive versatility. Oubre is one of those guys who just knows how to get himself buckets, whether he's working one-on-one or off the ball.
I've actually got my money on him averaging more points per game than any other high-profile freshman in the country. Step-backs, floaters, hard drives, slashes—Oubre can generate offense in a variety of different ways.
While the Sixers could be looking at Hollis Thompson and K.J. McDaniels as starters on the wing—a frightening thought—Oubre just might have the highest ceiling of any small forward in the projected 2015 draft class. And after taking two big men in Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, centers Jahlil Okafor and Karl Towns Jr. might not be as high on Philadelphia's priority list.
Oubre could give the Sixers a much-needed go-to punch at the small forward position between Michael Carter-Williams and their promising front line.
6. Cliff Alexander, Kansas, 6'9", PF, Freshman
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Projected Draft Range: Top 10
Best Fit: Minnesota Timberwolves
In acquiring Andrew Wiggins, the Wolves' management was able to inject its backcourt and wing with some electric athleticism. Next up is the frontcourt, where Cliff Alexander's explosive above-the-rim presence can complement Nikola Pekovic's physical under-the-rim approach.
Alexander is one of those big men who make the hoop appear tiny when soaring over it. He's an easy-bucket machine down low and a fighter on the glass.
At this point, his skill set is fairly limited, though we've seen flashes of a back-to-the-basket game and catch-and-shoot jumper.
Regardless, the appeal to Alexander stems from the towering upside his athleticism and motor drive long term, as well as the room he has to grow at the offensive end.
7. Mario Hezonja, Croatia, 6'8", SG/SF, 1995
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Projected Draft Range: Lottery
Best Fit: Orlando Magic
Based on his upside and Orlando's team needs, the Magic's scouting department ought to have plenty of eyes on Mario Hezonja overseas.
They just don't have a guy in the lineup with this type of skill set and mismatch potential. At 6'8", he's a 2-guard or wing and ridiculous overall athlete.
Hezonja is the type of scorer who can generate offense on demand, whether he's slashing to the hole or separating in the mid-range.
And he can shoot—in limited minutes, he connected on 37 percent of his three-point attempts last year while sporting promising mechanics, confidence and range.
Between Victor Oladipo, Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic, the Magic get very little shooting from their returning core starters. And the new guys—rookies Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon—are both complete non-threats from outside.
Hezonja ranks up there as a major risk-reward prospect given how little he's expected to play for Barcelona in the Spanish ACB. But if he's able to adapt to the NBA game and hit his stride as a scorer, Hezonja would fill a need for the Magic, which finished No. 29 in offensive efficiency last year and No. 25 in points per game.
8. Kristaps Porzingis, Latvia, 7'0", PF, 1995
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Projected Draft Range: Lottery
Best Fit: Sacramento Kings
Though more of a project, Kristaps Porzingis offers unique upside at a position the Kings have been looking to fill for years.
At 7'0", his athleticism, foot speed and face-up skill set could make him a tough cover at the 4.
Playing for Sevilla in the Spanish ACB, Porzingis has flashed some awfully appealing versatility, from slashing and outside shooting to shot blocking—a rare blend of two-way strengths.
Many had him pegged as a lottery pick last year had he not withdrawn last minute.
Assuming point guard Emmanuel Mudiay won't be on the board when the Kings are on the clock, they should be looking to improve that front line. The fact is, they've got a whole lot of bigs, and only one of them is any good.
Porzingis' athleticism and stretch potential could fit nicely alongside the stronger, more physical DeMarcus Cousins.
9. Terry Rozier, Louisville, 6'1", PG, Sophomore
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Projected Draft Range: Late lottery to late first round
Best Fit: Indiana Pacers
After losing Lance Stephenson to free agency and Paul George to injury, the Pacers could be looking at the 2015 lottery. And it's time to find an upgrade for George Hill at the point.
Terry Rozier's upside was mostly hidden last year coming off the bench behind Russ Smith and Chris Jones. It should be far easier to spot next season, when he'll have the chance to dominate the ball a bit more and showcase his playmaking ability.
He's a sick athlete for a ball-handler—one who can explode off the dribble and throw down a slam above the rim.
And with a comfortable outside stroke, he's got promising shooting potential, having knocked in 37.1 percent of his threes last year on 36 total makes (playing only 18.9 minutes a game).
This year, we'll find out just how well Rozier can run an offense. For what it's worth, he appears to have a grip on his expectations and some encouraging self-awareness.
“I learned a lot about [how to run] the pick and roll. That was my goal on what to get better at,” Rozier said, via Rob Dauster of CollegeBasketballTalk. “Just how to read it. I struggle a little bit coming off pick and roll, mainly setting my man up.”
Dauster believes Rozier is the top prospect Louisville has had in years, and I concur.
Rozier has something to prove, but he'll start out the season as our No. 2 point guard and a must-watch prospect for teams that need one.
10. Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky, 7'0", C, Junior
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Projected Draft Range: Lottery
Best Fit: New York Knicks
Willie Cauley-Stein's strengths are just as obvious as the hole they'd fill in New York.
At 7'0", he offers top-shelf athleticism in the middle, which the Knicks could mostly use at the defensive end, where Cauley-Stein blocked 2.9 shots in less than 24 minutes a game last year.
And though not much of a threat to create, he's shot over 59 percent in both seasons. As a pick-and-roll finisher and target for lobs and dump passes, he's a limited yet efficient easy-bucket monster around the hoop.
Regardless of how much his ball skills improve, Cauley-Stein's size, mobility and coordination should translate to rim protection and high-percentage offense.
With Carmelo Anthony the tallest Knick under contract for 2015-16 (Amar'e Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani and Samuel Dalembert will all be free agents), New York might want to think about going big in next year's draft.
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