2015 NBA Mock Draft: Pick Predictions for Top 1st-Round Prospects
The 2015 NBA draft is still months away, but the lottery percentages will be set soon enough once the regular season comes to a close.
Among the likeliest candidates to draw the No. 1 overall pick are the Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks. Both organizations need a franchise-changing force and would love to have their pick of the litter by winning the lottery.
Presuming the order shakes out as the records stand—and it should be pretty close, particularly with respect to the top three—it's becoming easier to forecast where some of the top prospects might land.
Check out a mock of the first round below, which precedes analysis on the fits for the top prospective picks.
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony Towns, C/PF, Kentucky |
| 2 | New York Knicks | Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | D'Angelo Russell, PG/SG, Ohio State |
| 4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | Justise Winslow, SF, Duke |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings | Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets | Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | Frank Kaminsky, F/C, Wisconsin |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky |
| 10 | Miami Heat | Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky |
| 11 | Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets) | Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | Mario Hezonja, SF, Croatia |
| 13 | Indiana Pacers | Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville |
| 14 | Boston Celtics | Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin |
| 15 | Phoenix Suns | Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas |
| 16 | Milwaukee Bucks | Myles Turner, PF/C, Texas |
| 17 | Houston Rockets (via New Orleans Pelicans) | R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State |
| 18 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame |
| 19 | Washington Wizards | Christian Wood, PF, UNLV |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors | Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky |
| 21 | Chicago Bulls | Kris Dunn, PG, Providence |
| 22 | Dallas Mavericks | Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers | Jarell Martin, PF, LSU |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Tyus Jones, PG, Duke |
| 25 | Memphis Grizzlies | Dakari Johnson, C, Kentucky |
| 26 | Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers) | Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston Rockets) | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona |
| 28 | San Antonio Spurs | Delon Wright, PG/SG, Utah |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets (via Atlanta Hawks) | Buddy Hield, SG, Oklahoma |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah |
Analyzing Fits for Top Prospects
1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns, C/PF, Kentucky
This plan accounts for both possibilities regarding Timberwolves center Nikola Pekovic. The talented big man struggles to stay healthy on an annual basis, and he could be used as a trade piece.
Drafting Jahlil Okafor limits Minnesota's rotational flexibility. Towns can play either center or power forward, so Pekovic could still play his game down low if Towns is on the team because the supreme athlete can space the floor with his shooting range.
ESPN Stats & Info points out how Towns was able to produce despite being on such an unselfish, deep Wildcats squad this past season:
Towns' defense is what will help make up for Pekovic's deficiencies on that end of the court and is the real lure of taking him No. 1 overall, provided the Timberwolves choose in that slot.
A knack for blocking shots and crashing the glass with a high motor makes Towns an ideal plug-in starter. The collective athleticism Minnesota would have with a nucleus of Towns, Ricky Rubio, Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins comprises a promising foundation for the Timberwolves to build on.
If presented with the choice of the two top frontcourt players in the 2015 draft class, Minnesota must pull the trigger on Towns. The fit is far better, and bringing in Okafor, who seems like a lesser prospect at this point, threatens to alienate Pekovic as he fights to stay on the court.
2. New York Knicks: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke
Fresh off a national championship with the Blue Devils, Okafor would go to the Big Apple in this scenario and continue to stay in the spotlight.
A near-disappearing act in the NCAA tournament finale preceded Okafor asserting his will late, flashing the potential he has to dominate the game from the inside. With a huge frame and amazing, quick-twitch skills, the sky is the limit for Okafor as an NBA center.
The question is whether Okafor can play with enough energy, assertiveness and tenacity to fulfill his potential. Those are areas he lacked in at times during his one year in Durham.
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders first spoke to Okafor in 2013, when the teenage phenom was fully confident in his own abilities:
Perhaps the challenge has been a bit underwhelming for Okafor, but he'll get all he can handle in the pros, particularly if he's tasked with helping lift the Knicks out of the basement of the Eastern Conference.
Defense is a big concern as Okafor transitions to the next level. He had trouble stopping Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky and others who dared to go right at him. Despite lacking a so-called killer instinct, no one can deny Okafor has the makings of a perennial All-Star as long as he works hard.
Spearheading a historic franchise's turnaround with an all-time great in Phil Jackson overseeing the reclamation project should be enough to move the needle for Okafor.
Someone who can command double-teams down low like Okafor can is necessary for New York. Carmelo Anthony is in isolation too often on the perimeter, and Okafor could free up space for him and the other upgrades the Knicks figure to add on the wing.
3. Philadelphia 76ers: D'Angelo Russell, PG/SG, Ohio State
Philly continued its roster overhaul this season by dealing a quite promising floor general in Michael Carter-Williams to Milwaukee. Such a move could be justified if the 76ers snag D'Angelo Russell.
The Buckeyes star is a passing wunderkind with an extremely high basketball IQ, plays the game with passion and has the intangibles NBA teams seek from a franchise cornerstone.
Some may criticize Russell's lack of explosiveness, yet he makes up for it with crafty ball-handling and a lethal jumper that forces opponents to back off. His uncanny awareness will allow him to work off the ball effectively, too.
If anyone is concerned about Russell being unable to guard quicker perimeter counterparts, that's all the more reason for the Sixers to take him. The team has Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel in place to patrol the paint, and that frontcourt duo could be the most dynamic defensive tandem down low in the Association soon enough.
In need of a catalyst for an anemic backcourt, Philadelphia must gamble on Russell. When Dario Saric eventually arrives for the Sixers, he has the skill set to play point forward, allowing Russell to function as a combo guard.
Such a cocktail of talent, plus whatever Philadelphia adds in the meantime—say, at least one marquee free agent—promises to finally turn the Sixers around and see their massive rebuilding efforts yield some actual results.
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