NBA Draft 2015: Mock Draft and Most Intriguing Players Available

The NBA draft—or any draft, for that matter—is intrinsically intriguing and complex and wonderful. There are so many factors involved when trying to determine what might happen.  

What is a player's upside? Is he the sort of person who will get the most out of his talent? How do his skills translate to the next level? Which team is the best fit for his abilities? Which teams are in a position to draft him in the first place? Are there other players a team might like more or less? Will there be trades? 

It's enough to make you smile and go cross-eyed all at once. 

But some players themselves are particularly intriguing, flashing unique skill sets or unknown variables heading into the draft. Let's break down a few of those players along with taking a look at a full first-round mock draft. 

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

Emmanuel Mudiay, G, China

Part of what makes Emmanuel Mudiay so intriguing is that most folks haven't seen him play basketball at all this past year, as he opted to play professionally in China rather than attend SMU. And while NBA teams love his athleticism, size (6'5", 200 lbs) and ability to get to the basket, the one weakness they see in his game wasn't exactly addressed in China, per Derek Bodner of USA Today:

"

The question about Mudiay, and it's one that decision makers are split on, is his jump shot. Mudiay didn't quell any of those questions with his performance over in China, shooting 34.2% from three point range and 57.4% from the free throw line in his 12 games overseas.

Should Mudiay correct his jump shot, though, many project him to be a more well-rounded player than [D'Angelo] Russell, with tantalizing athleticism, good on-court demeanor, and the ability to be a force on the defensive end.

"

Still, Mudiay pretty much checks off every other box teams are looking for at the position, which is why he seems likely to be a top-five pick and could go perhaps as high as No. 3 depending upon which team is selecting there. 

Whichever team lands him will be getting an exciting prospect even if he feels like an unknown commodity to that fanbase. 

Justise Winslow, SF, Duke

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Winslow is such a talented, versatile prospect—and he has so much room to grow as a player—but he may be the one top-five talent available who doesn't feel like he'll ever be a true No. 1 option for a team.

That isn't a knock on Winslow. In fact, his game is predicated on the fact that he isn't selfish and can pretty much contribute in every single facet of the game for a team. In the NCAA tournament he was at times a one-man wrecking ball for Duke and showed an evolution in his offensive game. He's certainly hard to keep from the basket when he decides to put his head down and drive to the cup.

But teams early in the draft will need to decide if they can afford to take a versatile, complementary player so high or if they need that No. 1 guy to build around. Winslow feels like the type of player who is perfect for teams who already have a star in place, with Winslow eventually settling into a super-sidekick role.   

Any NBA team would love to have a tenacious defender, willing and able rebounder, unselfish teammate and a player with a progressing offensive game all rolled into one. The question will be whether teams atop the lottery can afford to bypass true No. 1 options to draft such a player. 

Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin

A lot of talk about Frank Kaminsky (7'0", 234 lbs) heading into the draft will be about his shortcomings. Oh, he's not very athletic or strong. Oh, he's not a very good defender. Oh, he doesn't have a natural position in the NBA. 

Fair enough. But all Kaminsky has done thus far is produce and produce big. And against a roster full of NBA talent in the Final Four semifinal against Kentucky, the Player of the Year scored 20 points, pulled down 11 rebounds and blocked two shots. 

He can play down low, but his real strength in the NBA will be his ability to stretch big men out to the perimeter on defense, where Kaminsky can either shoot from distance, pump-fake and set himself up for an easier shot or use his solid passing skills to find an open teammate. 

You can bet an NBA team that utilizes him correctly will love his skill, intelligence and versatility. He'll need to bulk up for sure, but if the right team selects Kaminsky and allows him to do what he does best, he could be a very, very good NBA player.