NBA Draft 2015: 1st-Round Mock Draft, Predicting Where Top Prospects Will Land

The 2015 NBA draft class features a lot of promising prospects. The biggest question surrounding most of them is how quickly they can make an impact at the next level. There are many more developmental projects than immediate stars, even among those projected to go early.

That's not a new phenomenon, of course. Given the current draft rules, players are allowed to declare for the draft after one year of college. The need for further development is really pronounced this year, however, with a lot of intriguing talents who are still very much on the raw side.

In other words, teams will need to remain patient and keep giving them minutes will they grow. Those who don't land in the right situation could end up buried on a depth chart.

With that in mind, let's check out how the first round could play out in late June.

Round 1 Mock Draft

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

If nothing else, this class has a good mix of talent. There are players capable of filling just about every role, from playmaking point guards to shot-blocking centers, perhaps not at an All-Star level but as good rotation pieces.

For now, let's focus on the top post players in the class, those big men capable of making a quick impact at the next level. They are all intriguing prospects, as you'd expect, but each of them brings a little something different to the table.

Top Post Prospects

1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns, PF, Kentucky

Towns is on his way to becoming the complete package. The Kentucky product possesses ideal size, is a reliable contributor at both ends of the floor and has a high basketball IQ. His low-post offense still needs some more polish, but even that showed signs of progress during his season with the Wildcats.

It was tough for members of the star-studded Kentucky squad to stand out statistically with so many players earning minutes. That's why he averaged just 10 points and a shade under seven rebounds. ESPN Stats & Info noted his select company on a per-40 basis, though:

The Timberwolves would draft him with the hope his post offense does eventually develop. If that happens, there's no reason he can't become an All-Star at the next level. He'll still be a solid secondary scorer and a key defender while he improves on offense, though.

2. New York Knicks: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

Okafor is the opposite of Towns in many respects. His array of moves in the paint was highly impressive for a college freshman. That should translate to the next level. He doesn't feature the same type of long-term upside as his Kentucky counterpart, though.

Basically, with Okafor, what you see is probably what you're going to get: a key piece on the offensive end but a middling defender with marginal athleticism. Laura Keeley of the Charlotte Observer passed along his thoughts about making the jump:

"

I recall at the age of six, promising my mom and dad that when I made it to the NBA I would buy them both different colored trucks. They would laugh with me in support and encouraged me to dream big and work hard. With that being said and now at the age of 19, my dream is still alive! My freshman year has been an amazing experience to say the least. It exceeded my expectations!

"

The post skills make him an ideal fit for the Knicks. They need to do everything possible to put some offensive firepower around Carmelo Anthony if they want to start turning things around. Okafor is capable of providing a boost right out of the gate as a rookie.

6. Sacramento Kings: Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky

Cauley-Stein stayed three seasons at Kentucky, a rarity for top prospects at that program. Staying in school helped him add a little more variety to his offense, though, which was crucial for a player who's mostly associated with his defensive talent.

The question is whether he will score enough in the NBA to warrant a top-10 selection. A relatively weak draft class will help his cause. Being able to protect the rim, as highlighted by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports during Kentucky's tournament run, also gives him more margin for error on offense:

Adding Cauley-Stein to a group that also includes DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay would give the Kings a strong foundation up front. The tandem of Cousins (whose defensive effort is questionable) and Cauley-Stein would also create a better all-around dynamic in the post.