2015 NBA Mock Draft: Updated 1st-Round Predictions After Lottery
The pingpong balls have all the power.
Thanks to the fortunate bounce of those pingpong balls in various NBA draft lotteries, LeBron James and Kyrie Irving started their careers as Cleveland Cavaliers, Derrick Rose stayed home as a Chicago Bull and Patrick Ewing became a New York Knicks legend. The lucky bounce went to the Minnesota Timberwolves this season, and they now hold the NBA draft's most coveted position.
The question now becomes who the first pick in the 2015 draft will be with so much talent on the board. There are quality big men, electrifying point guards and wing shooters ready to drill three-pointers from the moment they put on an NBA jersey.
The Timberwolves are on the clock.
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony Towns, F/C, Kentucky |
| 2 | Los Angeles Lakers | Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China |
| 4 | New York Knicks | D'Angelo Russell, G, Ohio State |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | Justise Winslow, SF, Duke |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings | Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets | Mario Hezonja, G, Croatia |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | Stanley Johnson, F, Arizona |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia |
| 10 | Miami Heat | Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | Myles Turner, C, Texas |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | Kelly Oubre Jr., SF, Kansas |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets) | Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky |
| 16 | Boston Celtics | Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks | Montrezl Harrell, PF-C, Louisville |
| 18 | Houston Rockets (via New Orleans Pelicans) | Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky |
| 19 | Washington Wizards | Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors | Christian Wood, PF, UNLV |
| 21 | Dallas Mavericks | Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls | Tyus Jones, PG, Duke |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers | Jarell Martin, PF, LSU |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Delon Wright, PG, Utah |
| 25 | Memphis Grizzlies | Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs | Robert Upshaw, C, Washington |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston Rockets) | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona |
| 28 | Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers) | R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets (via Atlanta Hawks) | Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Cliff Alexander, PF, Kansas |
Underrated Players to Watch on Draft Day
Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
Cameron Payne didn’t draw the same headlines as some of the top point guard prospects who played at bigger schools, but the Murray State product has the chance to contribute right away at the NBA level.
He is a high-volume scorer (20.2 points per game last season), and his shooting ability and nose for the basket should translate to the professional ranks. He also averaged six assists a night, is always in control on the offensive side with the ball in his hands and understands the tempo and flow of an individual game.
His ceiling may not be as high as some of the younger players at 20 years old, but he can be trusted to make the right decision when it comes to balancing his own scoring with his prowess for setting up his teammates.
Throw in the ability to hit from three-point range, and Payne is already prepared to bolster an offense as part of an eight-man rotation.
Teams could do much worse than that near the end of the first round.
Christian Wood, PF, UNLV
Whereas Payne is more of a known commodity who is ready to come in and lead an offense off the bench during his rookie season, Christian Wood is all about potential and a sky-high ceiling.
The 6’11” stretch forward averaged a double-double last year at UNLV with 15.7 points and 10 rebounds per game. There are some understandable concerns about his frame and ability to handle the rigors of the NBA paint at 220 pounds, but it’s hard to ignore those rebounding numbers.
It’s not as if he was playing at the local YMCA in the Mountain West when he averaged double-digit boards a night, and he will put on muscle once he receives NBA training.
Wood is a matchup nightmare because of his ability to slash to the basket off the dribble, post up smaller defenders and stretch the floor with a shooting touch that extends beyond the three-point line. He can also get out in transition like a guard and fill the lanes, which will be a problem for plenty of NBA bigs who are asked to defend him next season.
Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress pointed out that Wood also has the skill set necessary to be a force on the defensive end:
"Defensively, Wood has interesting potential as well, thanks to his terrific size, length and agility, even if that's yet to translate into any real consistency at this stage of his career. He covers ground nicely in the half-court, allowing him to switch on ball screens on the perimeter and stay in front of smaller players. He can contest jump-shooters impressively, and still make it back into the paint to make a play at the rim with his rangy strides and impressive timing.
"
Wood won’t contend for the Rookie of the Year award next season, but NBA teams should pay attention to his potential on both ends of the floor.
Terry Rozier, G, Louisville
Louisville’s Terry Rozier is a borderline first-round prospect, but he will outperform the expectations that come with that designation.
The term “high motor” is a cliche that is thrown around far too often when analyzing draft prospects, but it applies to Rozier. He isn’t afraid to attack the rim and take contact, and he is a bulldog on defense who consistently hounds ball-handlers and forces turnovers.
Rozier was primarily a shooting guard in college, but he is versatile enough to play with the ball in his hands or as a spot-up shooter. If defenders close too hard on his outside shot, he can put the ball on the floor and attack the lane, which is part of the reason he averaged 17.1 points per game as Louisville’s main perimeter scorer last season.
Confidence won’t be an issue either, given his remarks to Jeff Greer of The Courier-Journal: "To be honest, I'm going to be fueled no matter what. When I go to private workouts for teams, whoever's in my workout group, I'm going to go at them hard. I want to be the best. I want to be the best guard in the draft."
If Rozier plays tough-nosed perimeter defense (two steals a game in his final year at Louisville) and finds a way to finish through contact in the lane and convert on his open three-point opportunities, he will surpass expectations as a late first-round, early second-round pick.
That is all a team can ask for in a rookie season.
