NBA Mock Draft 2015: Round 1 Projections, Top International Prospects Breakdown
We interrupt what has been a tremendous opening set of NBA playoff games to give you a look at the NBA draft.
Fans of teams like the New York Knicks, the Los Angeles Lakers, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Philadelphia 76ers don't have a horse in this postseason race, so their sights are set on June 25.
From freshman stars loaded with potential to veteran seniors sure to make an immediate impact, the NCAA tournament gave us a good feel for many prospects projected to go in the first round.
But what about the handful of guys coming from outside the U.S.?
Let's take a deeper look at two of the top international prospects, both of whom are believed to be top-10 selections.
Round 1 Mock Draft
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony Towns |
| 2 | New York Knicks | Jahlil Okafor |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | Emmanuel Mudiay |
| 4 | Los Angeles Lakers | D'Angelo Russell |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | Justise Winslow |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings | Willie Cauley-Stein |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets | Mario Hezonja |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | Kristaps Porzingis |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | Stanley Johnson |
| 10 | Miami Heat | Frank Kaminsky |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | Myles Turner |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | Kelly Oubre |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | Kris Dunn |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Sam Dekker |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks (via Nets) | Jerian Grant |
| 16 | Boston Celtics | Devin Booker |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks | Bobby Portis |
| 18 | Houston Rockets (via Pelicans) | Trey Lyles |
| 19 | Washington Wizards | Kevon Looney |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors | Tyus Jones |
| 21 | Dallas Mavericks | Cameron Payne |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls | Montrezl Harrell |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Caris LeVert |
| 25 | Memphis Grizzlies | Christian Wood |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs | R.J. Hunter |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers (via Rockets) | Jarrell Martin |
| 28 | Boston Celtics (via Clippers) | Delon Wright |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets (via Hawks) | Cliff Alexander |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Justin Anderson |
Top International Prospects
Emmanuel Mudiay
Emmanuel Mudiay was supposed to lead Larry Brown's SMU Mustangs to their first real March Madness run since 1966-67. But instead, while the Mustangs were getting knocked off by the UCLA Bruins in the round of 64, Mudiay was nowhere to be found.
That's because the potential lottery pick decided to spurn college ball and play overseas this year. He explained his decision to sign a one-year, $1 million contract to NBCSports:
"I was excited about going to SMU and playing college basketball for coach Larry Brown and his staff and preparing for the NBA, but I was tired of seeing my mom struggle. ... This is in no shape or form because of the NCAA or any eligibility issues.
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Mudiay averaged 18 points, 5.9 assists and 6.3 rebounds in 12 games for the Guangdong Southern Tigers and also signed an endorsement deal with Under Armour. An ankle injury sidelined Mudiay for a large chunk of the year as his team went on to finish atop the regular season standings.
Still, despite that hiccup, Mudiay experienced a new culture, got acclimated to heavy travel and played against professional players, some of whom used to play in the NBA. He thinks this will give him an advantage next year.
“Honestly, it challenged me as a basketball player,” Mudiay said of his experience in an interview with Scout.com's Evan Daniels. “I'm not saying I'm better than everybody in college, but I felt like it gave me a better challenge than college would have given me.”
The 6'5" guard is an elite scorer and playmaker capable of playing a huge role on an NBA team. But he's not without fault.
Grantland's Danny Chau has more:
"Mudiay shot an atrocious 57 percent from the free throw line in China. He’s a shooter by feel, and it shows. His midrange game pops when he’s given the space to string together hesitation dribbles; he’ll surprise you with his 3-ball when he’s in rhythm (34.2 percent).
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Draft Express has Mudiay pegged at No. 3 to the Sixers, and that's probably the earliest he'd go. The Wolves have Ricky Rubio, and Carmelo Anthony of the Knicks recently talked about the difficulty of playing with a rookie floor general, per Chris Herring of the Wall Street Journal:
Plus, Philly already has a formidable frontcourt with Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. Throwing Mudiay into the mix would be the wise choice.
Mario Hezonja
Limited playing time with Barcelona (Euroleague), crazy upside and tons of cockiness make Mario Hezonja kind of a wild card.
Here's an excerpt from NBA lead writer Jonathan Wasserman back in February:
"While Hezonja's offensive game has started picking up, his defensive tools have shined as well. The fundamentals tend to flicker, but he’s shown the ability to guard multiple positions, cover plenty of ground and make the special play.
For what it's worth, he's apparently bought into himself as an NBA star in the making. "If I was in college I'd probably be the No. 1 pick. I had an offer from Kentucky," Hezonja told Basketball Insiders' David Pick.
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The 6'6" shooting guard is projected by Draft Express to get selected seventh by the Denver Nuggets, but it's entirely possible that safer bets like Stanley Johnson or Kelly Oubre get snatched up by Denver and other mid-lottery teams before Hezonja's name is called.
Hezonja, just 20 years old, is a freak athlete. According to NBA.com's David Aldridge, the shooting guard “did every single one of LaVine's dunks during his FC Barcelona team's practice" the day after the Slam Dunk Contest.
One item of debate about Hezonja is his self-confidence and how that aspect of his personality will translate to pro ball here in America. Here's more from Aldridge:
""He's got a little swagger to him," a Southeast Division executive said. "...I think those Euro kids have to have some of that coming over here. He's awfully gifted. ... He has a little nastiness to him that will serve him well if he decides to compete at the defensive end."
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Hezonja seems to have the raw potential to warrant a lottery pick. But teams like the Nuggets and the Charlotte Hornets will be looking for immediate help.
Perhaps the best place for Hezonja to end up would be with the Miami Heat. He could learn behind Goran Dragic and Dwyane Wade, who wouldn't allow his head to swell, and get minutes on a competitive team.
Projected by Draft Express to pick at No. 10, both the Heat and Hezonja should cross their fingers they wind up together.
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