NBA Draft 2015: Latest 1st-Round Mock Draft with Regular Season Completed
With the 2014-15 NBA regular season coming to a close, we know a few things. For starters, we know the lottery teams and odds. We have a pretty good idea of the draft order after that, too—barring a few tiebreakers—so putting together a cohesive mock draft just became a lot easier.
Along with doing a full first-round mock, I'll take a look at three players I think have the most potential to really shoot up the board on draft day.
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony Towns, PF, Kentucky |
| 2 | New York Knicks | Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China |
| 4 | Los Angeles Lakers | D’Angelo Russell, PG/SG, Ohio State |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | Justise Winslow, G/F, Duke |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings | Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets | Mario Hezonja, SF, Croatia |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona |
| 10 | Miami Heat | Willy Cauley-Stein, PF, Kentucky |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers* | Myles Turner, PF, Texas |
| 12 | Utah Jazz* | Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas |
| End of Lottery | ||
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks (via Nets) | Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA |
| 16 | Boston Celtics | Jakob Poeltl, C, Utah |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks | Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville |
| 18 | Houston Rockets (via Pelicans) | Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame |
| 19 | Washington Wizards | Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors | Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas |
| 21 | Dallas Mavericks* | R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls* | Delon Wright, PG, Utah |
| 23 | Portland Trailblazers | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF/SG, Arizona |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Caris LeVert, SF, Michigan |
| 25 | San Antonio Spurs* | Justin Anderson, F, Virginia |
| 26 | Memphis Grizzlies* | Kris Dunn, PG, Providence |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers (via Rockets)* | Dakari Johnson, C, Kentucky |
| 28 | Boston Celtics (via Clippers)* | Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets (via Hawks) | Tyus Jones, PG, Duke |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Cliff Alexander, PF, Kansas |
Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia
Yes, I think the No. 6 player in my mock draft could end up being a major riser up the board despite the fact that he's already a high lottery pick—especially depending on how the lottery eventually plays out.
More than a few members of NBA front office personnel have been wowed by him, as Chad Ford of ESPN passed along:
""He's an athletic, super-skilled 7-footer who can do everything well," one GM said. "I was watching him warm up and had flashbacks to when I saw Pau Gasol take the floor for the first time in Spain. Only this kid is much more athletic than Gasol, but plays with that same fluidity. I've been asking my team since then, 'Are you sure he's not the No. 1 guy? Are these guys in college really better than him?'"
Said another veteran international scout: "He's my favorite player in this draft. I keep telling my staff, 'This one is not like other international players.' He's the real deal. He's special in all the ways a player can be special. He just needs to get stronger. That's it. He's going to be a big-time pro."
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When you are eliciting comparisons to Gasol or Dirk Nowitzki, well, you're special. Yes, Kristaps Porzingis needs to improve his post game. But beyond that, he's a really impressive athlete who blocks shots, can stretch a defense with a three-point stroke and can likely play both forward positions in the NBA.
That versatility makes him special, and if a team that doesn't particularly need guard help jumps into the top three, he could easily be picked in that range.
Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
Full disclosure: I love Trey Lyles. I love that he can play both forward positions, and though he is better suited at the 4, he managed to be an effective player for Kentucky this season at the 3.
I love that he's a mismatch for a lot of power forwards in the NBA because he can stretch his game to the perimeter or face up an opponent and get to the hoop.
I love his combination of length and athleticism, though he's not the most explosive athlete. I love that he's a smart player but will also bang on the boards and work for rebounds. I love how smooth he is on the court and how much guile he utilizes.
Like the player appearing next, I think Lyles' true ability was a bit hidden this year given Kentucky's depth and talent and the fact that the team played him out of position.
Put him on a different team where he could have been the main attraction, and I think he's a top-10 pick—no questions asked. As such, don't be shocked if he sneaks into the top six or seven selections.
Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
Devin Booker has three things teams love in guard prospects: excellent size at 6'6", arguably the purest shooting stroke in this draft class and a huge ceiling. He isn't great at creating his own shot—at least not yet—but he does work to get open looks and will be a weapon simply as a spot-up shooter.
He's not a defensive liability, a major plus, and likely would have shown a lot more of his offensive game on a team other than Kentucky, which had so many weapons and rotated minutes given its deep rotation.
Teams love shooters and this draft isn't terribly deep at the shooting guard position, so while I don't think Booker is a top-10 prospect, I wouldn't be surprised if he slipped into the back end of the opening 10 picks.
As his father, Melvin Booker, told Patrick MaGee of SunHerald.com, his son received solid feedback from the NBA crowd:
"It was all positive feedback. They said he would be a late lottery to mid first-round selection. It's hard to say no to situations like that because you know you can risk injury if you return. You could hurt your stock. Devin, I think probably showed the NBA guys enough that he has skills that are transferable to the NBA. He's an elite shooter.
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Booker is going to have to prove he's a superior shooting guard to players like Georgia State's R.J. Hunter and also worth taking over this year's deep stable of point guards and forwards. But don't be shocked if a team falls in love with his stroke and makes him a top-10 pick.
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