2015 NBA Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions, Breaking Down Prospects on the Rise
The 2015 NBA draft has been on the minds of some fanbases for several months already. As teams' playoff hopes began to fade, the focus shifted toward the future and looking for prospects who can help turn things around in the near future.
As a whole, this year's class isn't going to jump off the page, regardless of the remaining decisions ahead of the deadline for early entry. There's a select set of top-end prospects and reasonable depth. It just doesn't stand out as an extraordinary group at this stage, though.
Teams may simply take the best player available to work into their rotation rather than entering the draft trying to fill a specific void, especially outside of the top 10. So let's check out one scenario for how the opening round could play out from a pre-lottery perspective.
First-Round Mock Draft
| 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, China |
| 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 | Chicago Bulls* | Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame |
| 22 | Dallas Mavericks* | Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas |
| 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 | Boston Celtics (via Clippers)* | Kris Dunn, PG, Providence |
| 28 | Los Angeles Lakers (via Rockets)* | Cliff Alexander, PF, Kansas |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets (via Hawks) | Jarell Martin, PF, LSU |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Dakari Johnson, C, Kentucky |
One thing that's always interesting to watch is prospects who rise up the draft board late in their college careers. A strong run of play at an opportune time can do wonders for a player's stock. That is, as long as they are able to maintain that momentum throughout the process.
The lack of certainty outside of the top few pick in this year's draft has certainly left plenty of room for movement. So take a closer look at a trio of players who excelled down the stretch and have seen their likely landing range improve as a result.
Rising Prospects to Watch
5. Orlando Magic: Justise Winslow, SF, Duke
Winslow spent a majority of the season out of the spotlight due to the presence of fellow freshman sensation Jahlil Okafor at Duke. It was the swingman's improvement on the defensive end that really sparked the Blue Devils' run, however, and eventually resulted in a national title.
He was always a well-rounded player on the offensive end. He's capable of knocking down outside shots or attacking the rim to draw contact. Becoming a more consistent defender who flashed the ability to shut down an opponent's top perimeter scorer turned him into a potential top-five pick.
The rise in stock also eliminated any chance of him returning to Duke for another season. He proved everything he need to at the collegiate level. USA Today passed along his comments after making the decision to go pro official:
"My family and I have decided that I should declare for the NBA draft this year. Considering the success and growth that I have experienced over this past year as a player and as a person, I believe it is time to take the next step on my career path and play at the highest level.
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Ultimately, Winslow should develop into the type of player that provides reliable across-the-board production. Pperhaps not a leading scorer, but somebody who does a little bit of everything, including the hustle plays that don't show up in the stat line, to help a team win games.
14. Oklahoma City Thunder: Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
Dekker's story for this past season actually mirrors that of Winslow. He was often overlooked on a team led by Frank Kaminsky, but Dekker came alive heading into the tournament to help lead the Badgers to the national title game, significantly bolstering his draft stock in the process.
Unlike Winslow, Dekker has a couple of extra years of college seasoning under his belt. Based on his previous production, he was likely headed for the late first round. Jeff Goodman of ESPN reports sources around the league believe his tournament run had a definite impact on his outlook:
"Multiple NBA executives said that Dekker's stock improved as much as anyone in the NCAA tourney.
'He was probably in the 20-25 range before the tournament, but now he'll likely be a lottery pick,' one NBA executive told ESPN. 'He made big shots throughout the tournament.'
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He averaged better than 19 points per game during Wisconsin's six March Madness games. The uptick in scoring (14 PPG overall) was fueled by 15 made threes. A lot of those jumpers came in the clutch, too. Pro teams always like seeing players step up in crunch time.
His defense will need to improve if he's going to play on the wing at the next level. He was a solid college defender, but not on the level needed to slow down LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Co. However, his potential impact on the offensive end could very well land him in the lottery.
15. Atlanta Hawks (via Nets): R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State
Hunter was an outstanding shooter the moment he arrived in college. That alone was likely to land him late in the first round or early in the second. Improvement as a distributor and a memorable tournament performance moved him up the board.
He hit the game-winning shot in Georgia State's upset of Baylor—his coach and father Ron Hunter will remain in highlight reels for a long time for falling off his stool after the shot went in—and Hunter then scored 20 points in the Panthers' loss to Xavier in the next round.
He's another prospect who has questions to answer at the defensive end. Adding a little more bulk would help in that area, and it would also help him survive the grind of an NBA season. Yet, as Josiah Turner of Sideline Sports Report notes, his stock had probably maxed out, so it was time to make the jump:
The best way to utilize Hunter out of the gate will be as an offensive spark plug off the bench. Perhaps with some further work on the other areas of the game he can carve out a bigger role for himself over time. His shooting ability is his main asset, though. It's good enough to push him onto the lottery fringe.
