NBA Draft Order 2015: Lottery Odds, Current Selection List and Predictions
While prospects such as Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell are the prizes for the tanking we saw in the NBA this season, the actual result of a terrible record is more ping-pong balls in the draft lottery.
The way those balls bounce will directly impact the long-term future of every team that didn’t make the postseason. All that losing will be worth it for the squads that land future superstars, which makes the draft lottery appointment viewing for several fanbases.
Here is a complete breakdown of the lottery odds and projected draft order and some predictions for how the draft will unfold.
Lottery Odds and Projected Draft Order
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 25 Percent |
| 2 | New York Knicks | 19.9 Percent |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | 15.6 Percent |
| 4 | Los Angeles Lakers | 11.9 Percent |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | 8.8 Percent |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings | 6.3 Percent |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets | 4.3 Percent |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | 2.8 Percent |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | 1.7 Percent |
| 10 | Miami Heat | 1.1 Percent |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | 0.8 Percent |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | 0.7 Percent |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | 0.6 Percent |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 0.5 Percent |
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2 | New York Knicks |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers |
| 4 | Los Angeles Lakers |
| 5 | Orlando Magic |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets |
| 10 | Miami Heat |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers |
| 12 | Utah Jazz |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets) |
| 16 | Boston Celtics |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks |
| 18 | Houston Rockets (via New Orleans Pelicans) |
| 19 | Washington Wizards |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors |
| 21 | Dallas Mavericks |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 25 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston Rockets) |
| 28 | Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers) |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets (via Atlanta Hawks) |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors |
(Note: The Lakers will convey their selection to the Philadelphia 76ers if it falls outside the top five. Philadelphia will receive Miami's pick if it falls outside the top 10.)
NBA Draft Predictions
Karl-Anthony Towns Goes No. 1
There was a debate throughout the college basketball season about which player should get drafted first between Kentucky’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Duke’s Jahlil Okafor. Okafor won the national title, but Towns will get the last laugh on draft day.
Okafor is NBA-ready on the offensive end, but Towns has the chance to become the NBA Defensive Player of the Year if he lives up to his astronomical potential. He is 6’11” with a wingspan out of a comic book that he will use to swat shots and patrol the paint for 10-15 years.
Chris Herring of The Wall Street Journal painted an enticing picture for whichever team drafts Towns:
"It’s telling that Cauley-Stein, a 7-footer who was named the national Defensive Player of the Year, may not have been the most feared defender on Kentucky’s roster this season.
That distinction arguably belonged to the 6-foot-11 Towns and his 7-foot-3 wingspan because of how many shots he erased at the basket. (With a gaudy 11.5% block rate, he sent back more than one in every 10 shots.)
Towns occasionally mistimes his jump, yet still gets the block thanks to his length and ability to jump twice in the span it takes an opponent to jump once.
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Don’t overlook Towns’ offensive ability either. He can hit from mid-range with soft shooting touch, overpower smaller defenders on the blocks and pile up quick points with offensive putbacks.
Between his offensive versatility and overpowering defensive approach, Towns will earn top-pick billing.
Philadelphia 76ers Will Take a Guard
For as much focus as commentators and fans put on the Towns and Okafor debate all season, the Philadelphia 76ers will throw a wrench in that if they land a top-two pick in the draft.
Philadelphia already has Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid on the roster and will look toward the available guards with its first selection. Fortunately for the 76ers, there are a few possible backcourt superstars they could take in D’Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay and Justise Winslow.
Mudiay is the biggest wild card of the draft because he didn’t play college basketball this year and instead went to China. Larry Brown, who was set to be Mudiay’s college coach at SMU before the guard went overseas, discussed his potential, per Matt Lombardo of NJ Advance Media:
"He reminds me a lot of John Wall. They've done a tremendous job with Jon down in Washington, he's making the people around him better. You see it with Russell Westbrook. They've added some players around him and now he's getting more and more inclined to get other people involved. I think Emmanuel's really a talent like those kids.
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That sounds like someone who is worth a top-five pick.
Ultimately, Mudiay is an athletic freak who can get out in transition and blow past defenders off the dribble, Russell is a playmaker who dazzles fans with his passing and smooth shooting stroke and Winslow is an elite defender who can guard anything from a point guard to a power forward.
Philadelphia needs a guard to lead its list of young assets into a winning future. Mudiay, Winslow and Russell fit the bill.
There Will be an Emphasis on Defense in Top-15 Picks
Call it the Kawhi Leonard effect after he won the NBA Finals MVP by guarding LeBron James, but teams will lean toward defense in the first round of this year’s draft.
The good news for those squads looking for defense is the sheer number of impressive defenders available in this year’s draft. Towns could go No. 1, and names such as Justise Winslow, Willie Cauley-Stein, Stanley Johnson, Myles Turner and Trey Lyles are all potential top-15 picks. Strong defense is the trait that all these players share.
Cauley-Stein is athletic enough to guard every position if needed, Johnson was routinely asked to defend the opponent’s best perimeter player and Turner was a shot-blocking force down low for Texas. As for Winslow, he may be the closest thing to Leonard in this year’s draft because of his ability to rebound, guard smaller ball-handlers and body up with bigger guys.
Superstars may still be the best way to win in the NBA, but stopping superstars is another option. That thought process will be prevalent at this year’s draft.
