NBA Mock Draft 2015: Projections for Top International Prospects

Every year there's at least one international man of mystery who garners a good amount of attention leading up to the NBA draft. This year, there's at least three who could be selected in the top 10.

In a draft that may not produce as many expected stars as 2014's edition, the international flavor adds some quality to an already decent crop of talent.

This mock draft focuses on the top three international prospects, with pro projections for each. Each player's name is highlighted in the table, and a deeper analysis is located below.

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

Mario Hezonja

Swagger is not a problem for Croatia's Mario Hezonja. Neither is size, as he stands 6'8".

The 20-year-old plays with a flair that exudes confidence. He has good handles and an impressive stroke from long range. He shot 38.7 percent from three in the Euroleague last season and 41.7 from deep in the ACB.

Like most youngsters in Europe, Hezonja has seen only limited minutes, but the upside is there.

He's athletic and has the ability to finish above the rim, as you can see in the above video from European Basketball TV. Hezonja can put the ball on the floor and drive to the rim when defenders close out on his jump shot as well as finish with contact close to the goal.

However, Hezonja is little stiff off the dribble. He doesn't have the wiggle that the best perimeter players possess. He may not be able to get to the basket as easily against NBA defenders, but there is definite upside for him as a shooting guard/small forward in the NBA.

His game is similar to the San Antonio Spurs' Manu Ginobili. Obviously Ginobili has some intangibles that help to make him who he is, but he and Hezonja have some comparable physical traits.

Hezonja, Reggie Jackson and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope would make for an interesting perimeter attack in Motown.

Emmanuel Mudiay

When it comes to dribble penetration and attacking the basket, Congo's Emmanuel Mudiay is the best in the draft. He's taken an alternative path to the NBA draft by skipping college and playing professionally in China for a year, but his skills are undeniable.

Off the bounce, Mudiay has an assortment of moves, as seen in this video from DraftExpress:

At 6'5", Mudiay has excellent size for the point guard position and also has the requisite bulk to finish through contact. He has shown the ability to create for teammates as well.

While playing for Guangdong Foshan in China, Mudiay averaged 18 points and 5.9 assists. He made 34 percent of his threes but only 57 percent of his free throws. This is something he clearly has to improve considering he figures to spend some time on the line with his ability to attack the basket.

A good player comparison for him is the New Orleans Pelicans' Tyreke Evans. Both men are quick off the dribble and physically strong enough to overpower many of the players charged with checking them. Like Evans, Mudiay's only issue as a perimeter scoring threat is his inconsistent jump shot.

Mudiay should be selected in the top four, even if he doesn't land with the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3.

Kristaps Porzingis

There's always a concern when evaluating a big like Kristaps Porzingis. He's a legit 7-footer who likes to play on the perimeter and has big potential based on flashes he's shown while playing in Europe. No one wants to tab the next Darko Milicic or Nikoloz Tskitishvili.

Porzingis averaged 11.6 points per game in the Eurocup and made 45.9 percent of his threes. While he projects as a power forward, Porzingis hasn't shown he can be much of a force on the glass. He averaged just four boards per game during Eurocup and ACB play.

The difference between Porzingis and players like Tskitishvili is on the defensive end. Porzingis works hard and has excellent mobility to challenge shots with his length. On the negative side, he is so thin that he gets pushed around close to the basket, which partially explains his modest rebounding totals. It also makes him less effective as a back-to-the-basket threat.

The team that drafts Porzingis is going to have to be patient and willing to wait for him to get stronger and gain a solid feel for the NBA. Quite honestly, he has the most bust potential of any player projected for the lottery.

I don't have a strong player comparison for him, as there are some Andrei Kirilenko-like characteristics as well as some similarities to former Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves big man Brad Sellers.

I'm not sure that's a great combination.

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