NBA Draft 2015: Comparing Latest Expert Mock Drafts
There's no question that Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com and the folks at DraftExpress and NBADraft.net are considered experts when it comes to top prospects entering the NBA. Because of their expertise on the subject, it was interesting to compare their latest mock drafts.
Goodman's latest mock is dated a bit earlier than the other two, so a pick-by-pick comparison doesn't work since the order is a bit different. However, there are several selections that have remained the same.
Beginning at the top, there are differences of opinion. Who is going No. 1 overall?
NBADraft.net and Goodman believe that Kentucky Wildcats big man Karl-Anthony Towns has overtaken the Duke Blue Devils' Jahlil Okafor for the top spot. DraftExpress still tabs Okafor to the New York Knicks were the draft to be held Tuesday.
Goodman writes, "Jahlil Okafor has been the odds-on favorite all season long, but Towns has come on strong lately, and this will be a difficult decision for Phil Jackson and the Knicks, or whoever gets the top selection. Okafor is a true low-post center while Towns is long, skilled, versatile and has a higher upside."
Towns has played exceptionally well as part of Kentucky's hugely talented ensemble cast, but this is an important draft pick for the New York Knicks. There's reason to believe they might go for the safer prospect, and that would be Okafor. He's proven he can score consistently with a variety of post moves and a nice shot from 15 feet.
However, there's also the possibility the Knicks chase Marc Gasol in free agency. If that's the plan, the Knicks might be more apt to look at Towns, who can play power forward, the Ohio State Buckeyes' D'Angelo Russell or point guard Emmanuel Mudiay from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Whomever the Knicks pick will come to the Big Apple with major expectations and pressure on his shoulders.
Another intriguing team in the lottery is the Detroit Pistons.
DraftExpress and NBADraft.net think the Pistons would favor Duke's do-it-all small forward Justise Winslow, but Goodman has Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein there.
Small forward is a position of need for Detroit, but the Pistons have to deal with the likelihood that Greg Monroe will leave via free agency. If that happens, Andre Drummond will need a new frontcourt running mate. He and Cauley-Stein would make for an imposing and athletic defensive-minded power forward-center tandem.
Detroit already has point guard Reggie Jackson and shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to stretch the floor. It would likely need a sharpshooting small forward to make that lineup effective on the offensive end. That's not going to be the hardest thing to find on the free-agent market.
Guys like Jeff Green, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and a player the Pistons traded at the deadline, Kyle Singler (restricted), are scheduled to be free agents. Any of them could bring the Pistons an interesting starting five in the 2015-16 season.
What about the Chicago Bulls?
Two of the three mocks have the Bulls taking a point guard, the other a power forward. Somehow, DraftExpress has Chicago taking Louisville power forward Montrezl Harrell. There's no doubt Harrell is the type of player Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau might love, but there are rumblings that suggest Thibs won't be back with the team next season.
A championship run might change that, but even still, the Bulls seem to have more power forwards than they can handle. There's already a struggle for minutes between Taj Gibson and rookie Nikola Mirotic. It wouldn't be a shock to see the Bulls move the more expensive and older Gibson to make way for Mirotic's budding star potential.
Throwing Harrell into that mix doesn't seem to make much sense.
NBADraft.net has the Bulls taking Utah Utes' point guard Delon Wright, while Goodman has Providence's Kris Dunn heading to Chicago. The injury history of Derrick Rose is an obvious factor. The Bulls need to seriously address the long-term depth at the position. Temporary fixes like Aaron Brooks, who is also a free agent at the end of the season, aren't going to be the answer.
Dunn has the most upside, but Wright has the potential to be the steadier performer. In a perfect world, Rose would stay healthy and regain his MVP form, but it would be bad business for the Bulls to count on that.
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