NBA Mock Draft 2015: First-Round Projections and Sleeper Watch
Free from the shackles of the NFL draft, the 2015 NBA draft now takes center stage.
The ensuing storylines promise to take hold and never let go until the Minnesota Timberwolves likely waltz to the podium and end much of the debate.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor make for the most interesting storyline. Draft classes littered with such talented big men don't come around often. Late risers (Justise Winslow) and wild cards (Emmanuel Mudiay) throw things for a loop, too.
But what about the sleepers? The 2015 class seems top-heavy, and maybe in hindsight it will be, but right now, there are plenty of underdogs to watch for on the path to the draft.
2015 NBA 1st-Round Mock Draft
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke |
| 2 | New York Knicks | Karl-Anthony Towns, PF, Kentucky |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China |
| 4 | Los Angeles Lakers | D'Angelo Russell, 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 | Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | Kelly Oubre, SG, Kansas |
| 10 | Miami Heat | Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | Frank Kaminsky, PF, Wisconsin |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | Myles Turner, C/PF, Texas |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks (from Brooklyn Nets) | Dakari Johnson, C, Kentucky |
| 16 | Boston Celtics | Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks | Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville |
| 18 | Houston Rockets (from New Orleans Pelicans) | Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky |
| 19 | Washington Wizards | Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona |
| 21 | Dallas Mavericks | Tyus Jones, PG, Duke |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls | Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers | Cameron Payne, SG, Murray State |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas |
| 25 | Memphis Grizzlies | Robert Upshaw, C, Washington |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs | Delon Wright, PG, Utah |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers (from Houston Rockets) | R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State |
| 28 | Boston Celtics (from Los Angeles Clippers) | Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets (from Atlanta Hawks) | Cliff Alexander, PF, Kansas |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Jarell Martin, PF, LSU |
Sleepers to Watch
R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State
It's not often NBA teams get a shot at a 6'5", 185-pound guard who can shoot and pass the ball well in the middle of the first round.
Barring a major shift in the stock department, this refers to Georgia State's R.J. Hunter. At one point, the Indianapolis native sat on the cusp of the late lottery thanks to his NBA size and range.
The NBA is down a tad on his prospects since, though, thanks in large part to a reduction in shooting percentage last season:
| 2014-15 | .395 | .305 | 4.7 | 3.6 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 19.7 |
| 2013-14 | .444 | .395 | 4.6 | 1.7 | 0.9 | 1.9 | 18.3 |
| 2012-13 | .439 | .365 | 5.1 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 17.0 |
This dip in play has more to do with the opposition throwing everything it has at him to slow him, though.
The team willing to see the light in such a manner will have a steal on its hands. Hunter can contribute right away by helping to spread the court. He's a good passer, but most important of all, defenses will need to account for his shot.
Justin Anderson, SG/SF, Virginia
Few players have more at stake than Virginia's Justin Anderson in the predraft workouts.
Anderson offers outstanding size at 6'6" and 222 pounds. He's athletic, can put the ball on the court and create for others and himself. The problem is, Anderson shot 45 percent from deep this past season as a junior.
It doesn't sound like much of a problem, right? He never shot better than 30 percent in each of the two years before. ESPN.com's Chad Ford breaks down the implications:
"Anderson has declared for the 2016 NBA Draft. Anderson has the athleticism to be a very good NBA wing. The question is whether he has the jump shot. Anderson shot the lights out from three for most of his junior year before an injury slowed him down. The question is: was that hot shooting an anomaly or did he just dramatically improve after shooting a much lower percentage as a freshman or sophomore?
"
If Anderson can suggest to the NBA his rapid ascent up the shooting charts is an improvement and not some sort of long-extended fluke, watch out.
There's a lot to like with Anderson. His shooting percentage never regressed to the mean until an injury last year. If he shows the same ability again, a major climb up boards will be in order.
Cliff Alexander, PF, Kansas
If Anderson has much at stake during workouts, Kansas' Cliff Alexander needs to knock interviews out of the park.
The freshman from Chicago shouldn't be in the draft, but he declared anyway. Right off the bat, it's easy to see his 6'8" and 251-pound frame won't encounter many issues in the pros, but the fact he's 19 years old and seems to need another year of development will give teams pause.
Teams not prone to hesitation, though, will see an elite athlete who can be a two-way player, in large part thanks to his ability to play defense and get shots off above taller defenders.
Granted, Alexander averaged just 7.1 points and 5.3 rebounds per game, but it's not wise to take numbers posted under Bill Self at Kansas in much of a serious manner. As Rodger Bohn of SLAM Magazine notes, Alexander even shows future potential as a shooter:
Free of Self's system and with immense upside, there's a steal waiting for a team in the middle of the first round, if not later.
Alexander should encounter few issues shedding the sleeper label in workouts, so watch out.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
