NBA Draft 2015: Updated Mock Draft for Round 1, Undervalued Stars to Watch
Not everybody can draft LeBron James. When it comes to the 2015 NBA draft, top stars like Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns and Emmanuel Mudiay will come off the board extremely quickly.
That's not to say that teams picking in the back end of the first round are guaranteed to walk away with absolutely nothing of worth.
The four players highlighted below are bound to fall a few more picks than they should.
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony Towns, C, 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, SF, Duke |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings | Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets | Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia |
| 10 | Miami Heat | Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | Myles Turner, PF/C, Texas |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets) | Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin |
| 16 | Boston Celtics | R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks | Frank Kaminsky, PF/C, Wisconsin |
| 18 | Houston Rockets (via New Orleans Pelicans) | Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame |
| 19 | Washington Wizards | Christian Wood, PF, UNLV |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors | Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State |
| 21 | Dallas Mavericks | Delon Wright, PG/SG, Utah |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls | Tyus Jones, PG, Duke |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers | Buddy Hield, SG, Oklahoma |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Andrew Harrison, PG, Kentucky |
| 25 | Memphis Grizzlies | Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs | Cliff Alexander, PF, Kansas |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston Rockets) | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona |
| 28 | Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers) | Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets (via Atlanta Hawks) | Jarell Martin, PF, LSU |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Joseph Young, SG, Oregon |
Underrated Players in First Round
No. 18, Houston Rockets: Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame
The injury to Patrick Beverley illustrates how thin the Houston Rockets are at point guard. While James Harden is the primary ball-handler, going into the playoffs with Jason Terry and Pablo Prigioni at the point isn't an optimal strategy.
In Jerian Grant, the Rockets could get the kind of point guard who can provide some help offensively—a change of pace a bit from Beverley.
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish point guard is a dynamic scorer, even if he shot 34.5 percent from behind the arc during his time in South Bend. Grant is a passable enough shooter that opposing teams can't simply slack off him to prevent his drives into the paint.
Maybe playing with Harden and Dwight Howard can help him get over the disappointment that his college career has reached its end:
No. 22, Chicago Bulls: Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
The beauty of Tyus Jones going to a team like the Chicago Bulls is that he can learn from and compete with a player like Derrick Rose every day during the season.
Much like with Beverley and the Rockets, the Bulls don't go very deep at point guard when their starter is out. And given Rose's injury history, Chicago can't go much longer with Aaron Brooks and Kirk Hinrich as the backup options.
The trouble with Jones is something that ESPN's Chad Ford highlighted in February when discussing the former Duke Blue Devil's NBA potential:
"Scouts and GMs are typically looking for three things when searching for top-shelf NBA prospects: (1) elite size or length for position; (2) elite athletic ability for position; and (3) at least one elite skill that translates in the NBA.
Jones' lack of elite size, athleticism and an NBA body are clearly hurting him. He has the game of an NBA player, but not necessarily the physical attributes of one.
"
To a certain extent, the same critiques were likely leveled at Stephen Curry, and he's turned out to be a pretty good pro.
Jones' ceiling is nowhere near as high as Curry's current play, but he has all the skills necessary to be a reliable point guard in the league. His strong shooting and playmaking ability will overshadow his physical limitations.
If Ford's words prove true and teams pass on Jones because he isn't an exceptional athlete, the Bulls would be getting a great value pick.
No. 25, Memphis Grizzlies: Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville
The trouble with drafting Montrezl Harrell is that you're getting a power forward who's listed on his school's website at 6'8", so he might be even shorter. That's not an ideal height. There's also little chance that Harrell will be able to stretch the floor—he attempted 40 total threes in the last two seasons. Plus, he's a career 53.3 percent free-throw shooter.
The reason you still draft Harrell is that you know he can contribute right away. Like Jones, Harrell is an excellent basketball player but not necessarily a great athlete.
Harrell made his name on the glass (8.4 RPG in 2013-14 and 9.2 RPG in 2014-15) and in the paint at Louisville. He is a good inside scorer, which can help mask his lack of an imposing frame.
Harrell wouldn't necessarily be the heir apparent to Zach Randolph or address the Memphis Grizzlies' biggest issue—three-point shooting—but he'd be a strong addition for the team.
No. 28, Boston Celtics: Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia
Justin Anderson is the kind of player who might not make an All-Star team but will have a long, fruitful career in the NBA.
The former Virginia Cavalier saw his three-point percentage rise from 30.3 percent (freshman year) and 29.4 percent (sophomore year) to 45.2 percent this past year. His offense was somewhat shackled in Tony Bennett's scheme (12.2 PPG in 2014-15), but it's clear Anderson can be a dependable scorer in the NBA.
Where Anderson will really shine is on the defensive end, though. He's a fantastic defender, and he'll be athletic enough to handle most other small forwards at the next level.
Part of what will help Anderson thrive in the NBA is finding the right system. Anderson could fit right in with Brad Stevens' game plan.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
