NBA Draft 2015: Most Intriguing Questions Surrounding Top Prospects
Although the 2015 NBA draft is still months away, speculation and predictions about the top players will continue to be a large part of the basketball discussion, especially now that the NCAA tournament is over.
Whereas Andrew Wiggins was the nearly unquestioned top guy last year, this year's class lacks that one player who is universally considered a can't-miss prospect and No. 1 overall guy. In Wiggins' absence in 2015 is a handful of talented collegiate stars who have All-Star potential and the capability to achieve more.
Regarding some of those top players, these three questions continue to linger.
Who Comes off the Board First: Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor?
Most draft experts and basketball fans consider one of Karl-Anthony Towns or Jahlil Okafor to be the best player available. The semi-controversy comes when determining which of Towns or Okafor is the true No. 1 pick.
They declined to make it easy, with both declaring for the 2015 draft. Towns was one of seven Kentucky Wildcats players to bolt for the NBA, per SportsCenter, while the Duke Blue Devils confirmed reports of Okafor's early departure.
Some variation of Towns vs. Okafor has been discussed for a while now, especially with their strong play in the NCAA tournament. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman threw in his two cents, arguing Towns would be a great fit for the New York Knicks, who currently have the highest odds of winning the draft lottery.
Okafor is arguably the better post scorer, but that's the only significant edge he owns on Towns. Towns is a better athlete, better defender and better rebounder. He's also not as much of a liability at the free-throw line.
For those reasons, Towns looks to be more deserving of the top spot.
How Good Can Frank Kaminsky Be in the NBA?
Sometimes a college star's game simply doesn't translate to the NBA, or his talent was inflated by his teammates or system. Some combination of the two led to highly decorated collegiate darlings Evan Turner, Adam Morrison and Jimmer Fredette largely becoming busts in the league.
Might the same become true of Frank Kaminsky?
Unlike Morrison or Turner, Kaminsky almost certainly won't go second or third overall. If he goes in the top 10 at all, 10th seems to be the earliest he can hope to come off the board.
The Wisconsin Badgers star doesn't possess a wealth of athleticism, and it's hard to see how he'll get much better than he is now. Wasserman remains a bit skeptical of Kaminsky's NBA ceiling:
"And though Kaminsky's feet are nimble, they aren't the quickest. His best move is the spin off a line drive—a move that highlights his body control, as opposed to his burst. Though Kaminsky is a threat to face up, he lacks a blow-by turn-the-corner step.
Defense is another area where Kaminsky's potential may be limited. He's not exactly a cement wall down low, while his 4.5 percent block percentage, per Sports-Reference.com, would rank alongside some of the lowest block percentages recorded by a first-round center over the last 10 years.
"
He compared Kaminsky to Andrea Bargnani. If we're talking about 2008-12 Bargnani, that's a serviceable NBA big man. If we're talking post-2012 Bargnani, then teams will want to steer clear at all costs.
Maybe Kaminsky can defy the critics like Kevin Love has done. It's easy to forget that Love looked far from a lock when he left UCLA. Back in 2008, ESPN's Chad Ford asked the question, "Is he just a more skilled version of Tyler Hansbrough?" And that's where many also stood on Love at the time.
With the increased emphasis on the three-pointer, Kaminsky should have a role to play in the league. Plus, he's not so one-dimensional that his value is tied solely to his long-range ability. He may not reach Love's heights, but a long, fruitful NBA career looks to be in his future.
How Much Will Justise Winslow Improve as a Shooter?
Justise Winslow hasn't officially declared for the NBA draft, but it feels like only a matter of time before he does.
"He’s back at school and all that and we’ll see what he’s going to decide," said Rickie Winslow, Justise's father, per Stephanie Kuzydym of the Houston Chronicle. "It’s his decision. That’s all on him. That’s where he is right now. He’s talked with his mom and me and of course, his coach."
With the way he can defend on the perimeter, it's somewhat easy to make the jump to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist when trying to find an NBA comparison for the younger Winslow. While the two do share a similar skill for the defensive side of the game, the comparison falls apart when you look at their shooting.
Kidd-Gilchrist wasn't anywhere close to the offensive threat in college that Winslow is, which is not to say that Winslow is the next coming of Stephen Curry. Here's a look at their numbers side by side, courtesy of Sports-Reference.com:
| Justise Winslow | 17.3 | .486 | .418 | .572 | .551 |
| Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | 15.3 | .491 | .255 | .570 | .511 |
ESPN's Jeff Borzello drew a parallel between Winslow and players like Chicago's Jimmy Butler and San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard:
Both examples, especially Leonard, seem pretty apt. If Winslow can keep opposing defenses honest, he could grow into a Leonard-type player.
Without a stable mid-range jumper and occasional range, the Duke star might just be a step above MKG, which wouldn't be all that bad.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
