NBA Draft 2015: Prospects Facing Major Fall Down Draft Board

Rarely are April NBA mock drafts ever entirely accurate. The predraft evaluation process has yet to commence with the playoffs in full swing, but it is sure to claim a few victims once it does.

For one reason or another, a handful of guys will slide down the board toward the bottom of the first round. It just wouldn't be a regular draft if you didn't have a few desperate teams either trade up or stay put to reach for a combine hero with a 40-inch vertical.

Here is your early mock with a few big names that might be a little lower than you expected.

Pick	Team	Selection
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, Congo
5.	Orlando Magic	Justise Winslow, SF, Duke
6.	Sacramento Kings	Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia
7.	Denver Nuggets	Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona
8.	Detroit Pistons	Mario Hezonja, SF, Croatia
9.	Charlotte Hornets	Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky
10.	Miami Heat	Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
11.	Indiana Pacers	Myles Turner, C, Texas
12.	Utah Jazz	Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin
13.	Phoenix Suns	Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
14.	Oklahoma City Thunder	Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
15.	Atlanta Hawks	Kelly Oubre, SG, Kansas
16.	Boston Celtics	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona
17.	Milwaukee Bucks	Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas
18.	Houston Rockets	Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame
19.	Washington Wizards	Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA
20.	Toronto Raptors	Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville
21.	Dallas Mavericks	Cameron Payne, PG, Murray St.
22.	Chicago Bulls	Chris McCullough, PF, Syracuse
23.	Portland Trail Blazers	Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia
24.	Cleveland Cavaliers	Moussa Diagne, C, Senegal
25.	Memphis Grizzlies	Delon Wright, PG, Utah
26.	San Antonio Spurs	R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia St.
27.	Los Angeles Lakers	Jarell Martin, PF, LSU
28.	Boston Celtics	Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
29.	Brooklyn Nets	Christian Wood, PF, UNLV
30.	Golden State Warriors	Brandon Ashley, PF, Arizona

Prospects Facing Fall Down Draft Board

Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky

Lyles knew what he was getting into playing under John Calipari. We've seen it before. Having so many highly touted recruits in a team-oriented system is going to result in some or all of them sacrificing some numbers.

That ideology did not affect Karl-Anthony Towns or Willie Cauley-Stein in terms of draft stock, but Lyles played mostly out of position all season due to the two 7-footers locking down the paint. It helped the team, but Lyles was the forgotten man at times despite his immense talent.

He got overshadowed in a sense despite being Kentucky's biggest recruit in 2014, according to ESPN.com. When seven players from one team declare for the draft at once, there's no question that some will get more attention than others.

This piece from The Cauldron mentioned some interesting points, comparing Lyles to two other former Wildcats who turned into successful NBA players in Eric Bledsoe and Terrence Jones. Bledsoe went 18th overall due to being forced to play alongside John Wall under Coach Cal, while Jones, who also went 18th, played with Anthony Davis.

Lyles will not solidify his draft stock as a lottery pick because he does not blow anyone away athletically. Despite playing out of position, he is not a tweener at all with his 6'10" 250-pound frame and 7'3 1/2" wingspan. He has a nice offensive game around the rim as well as a promising, yet unpolished outside game that he was forced to use too much due to Towns' presence.

In a draft so stacked with big men, as well as other Kentucky Wildcats, don't be surprised to see Lyles slide. The No. 13 spot at this point is only a starting point. He could easily continue to fall to teams in the 20s.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona

Hollis-Jefferson is currently slated to go No. 16 to the Boston Celtics but is a hard prospect to project due to his unique skill set. A team in the lottery could easily fall in love with his intensity and defensive acumen so much that it will overlook his shooting woes, but it is more likely he will slide a few spots and wind up being the steal of the first round.

NBADraft.net currently has him going 29th to the Nets, and even that may be higher than he winds up when it is all said and done.

RHJ will surely impress at the combine. His athleticism is unquestionable, and he is arguably the best wing defender in this entire draft. But his outside shot is a disaster, which is a big problem for an NBA small forward.

He hit only 8 of 39 threes in his two seasons with the Arizona Wildcats but displayed an improved mid-range game as a sophomore. His scoring ability from the perimeter is his only true weakness, but it could be enough to knock him all the way out of the first round.

If only draft pundits were more partial toward shimmies. He'd go first overall.

Tyus Jones, PG, Duke

One of the most decorated high school players of the 2014 class, and ESPN.com's No. 4 recruit arrived at Duke with grand expectations.

For the most part, he delivered.

Jones started slow, but when you cap your freshman year with a 19-point second half in the national championship game, you've done your job.

As an NBA prospect, Jones and his underwhelming 6'1" 190-pound frame are questionable. He has a good feel for the game and makes strong decisions with the basketball but has a streaky jumper and struggles to finish around the rim. His impact and potential to be a legitimate game-changer will hold him back in the draft.

Being undersized and an average athlete is not a nail in the coffin, but not being able to beat guys off the dribble or finish around the rim is not a good combo for an NBA point guard. Jones shot just 41.5 percent from the floor at Duke as a freshman despite playing in such an uptempo offense that fit his style.

The name that jumps out when thinking of a Tyus Jones comparison to me is Trey Burke. Don't be surprised to see a team like the San Antonio Spurs snag him, but the Celtics could also be in play should they keep that late first-round pick. He could have a lot of value in this league as a D.J. Augustin- or Luke Ridnour-type, but anything more than that is up in the air.

If there were more impact point guards in this draft, you might be looking at Jones as a surefire second-round pick. For now, I see him landing in the bottom five picks of the first due to limited upside.