NBA Draft 2015: Updated 1st-Round Mock Draft with Lottery Approaching
The 2015 NBA draft lottery is Tuesday, so the time is ripe for another mock scenario before the official order of the first round is determined.
Several consensus prospects headline this year's class. Where teams need to have a strong combination of talent-evaluation savvy and luck is toward the end of the lottery, which is filled with more difficult judgment calls.
Keeping that in mind, check out an updated first-round mock draft followed by analysis on some of the wild-card players who ought to be in consideration as lottery picks.
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony Towns, C/PF, Kentucky |
| 2 | New York Knicks | Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | D'Angelo Russell, PG/SG, Ohio State |
| 4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | Justise Winslow, SF, Duke |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings | Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets | Myles Turner, PF/C, Texas |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky |
| 10 | Miami Heat | Mario Hezonja, SF/SG, Croatia |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | Frank Kaminsky, F/C, Wisconsin |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn Nets) | Christian Wood, PF, UNLV |
| 16 | Boston Celtics | Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks | R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State |
| 18 | Houston Rockets (via New Orleans Pelicans) | Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame |
| 19 | Washington Wizards | Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors | Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin |
| 21 | Dallas Mavericks | Delon Wright, PG/SG, Utah |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls | Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers | Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Tyus Jones, PG, Duke |
| 25 | Memphis Grizzlies | Chris McCullough, PF, Syracuse |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston Rockets) | Dakari Johnson, C, Kentucky |
| 28 | Boston Celtics (via Los Angeles Clippers) | Jarell Martin, PF, LSU |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets (via Atlanta Hawks) | Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Justin Anderson, SG/SF, Virginia |
Analysis of Lottery Wild Cards
Frank Kaminsky, C/PF, Wisconsin
The former Badgers big man played extremely well against top-tier competition, leading Wisconsin to the Final Four in each of the past two years. When he took on the mighty Kentucky Wildcats, Frank Kaminsky rose to the occasion, putting up 20 points and 11 rebounds.
As talented as Kaminsky is, his game is difficult to project to the NBA level. His finesse at 7'0" makes him a difficult matchup, but he isn't much of a rim protector despite his massive size, and the Association's bigger frontcourt players might bully him.
Kaminsky did have his way with Duke star Jahlil Okafor, considered to be a prime candidate to go No. 1 overall, along with countless other adversaries in college.
The combination of height and pure shooting ability makes Kaminsky comparable to Dirk Nowitzki—not as good, of course, because Nowitzki is a truly unique All-Star and NBA Finals MVP, so let's not jump the gun.
It could come to pass that simply no one can consistently bother Kaminsky's shot, which would make him quite an asset in a less physical modern NBA that's more perimeter-oriented.
Considering he managed to improve every year at Wisconsin, there's no reason to count out Kaminsky as he tries to adapt. How he does that will determine just how much success he can have in the NBA, and a lot of it depends on how the lottery shakes out and where he lands.
Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas
Athleticism is something that cannot be taught, and Kelly Oubre has that in spades. It can be a gift and a curse, though, because Oubre is heading to the pros after just one year at Kansas.
Oubre is definitely green but has a tremendous amount of upside to explore. What he must improve most is his shot selection, not to mention relying on his physical gifts to win on the offensive end.
Utah Jazz personality David Locke brought up a relevant point in comparing Oubre's freshman campaign to the one Andrew Wiggins had with the Jayhawks the year prior:
Although he leaves something to be desired in terms of functional strength, one enviable attribute Oubre has is ridiculous length with his 7'2" wingspan, per DraftExpress.com. That makes him capable of evolving into a lockdown defender on the wing.
The question is whether Oubre will hone in on the finer points of his game before he's able to make an impact. He has the ability to contribute to an NBA rotation right away, but Oubre may not break some of his habits if he is on a losing team out of the gates.
It wouldn't be a surprise to see Oubre go off of the board inside the top 10. Predraft workouts should only help Oubre's cause, though his average of 9.3 points per game this past season is lackluster for a team to choose him so high.
Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
There aren't a lot of great true 2-guard prospects in this draft, so Devin Booker's stock should see a boost based on that alone. Whether or not he's worthy of a lottery choice remains to be seen, though.
On a Kentucky team that was loaded with NBA talent, Booker came off the bench and wasn't exactly consistent. Sometimes it can be hard for a lethal volume shooter like Booker to develop a rhythm if he isn't getting a ton of minutes.
With just one year of college experience and a tough time standing out as a member of the Wildcats, it's a dubious proposition to take Booker in the lottery. On the other hand, his elite shooting ability and room to grow his game could be too enticing to pass up.
Mike Schmitz of DraftExpress.com has an optimistic outlook for Booker's NBA future:
"Booker will have a place in the NBA for a long time because of his size, smarts & stroke. Interested to see how much he can add to his game.
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) April 30, 2015"
Booker shot 41.1 percent on 141 three-point attempts but was streaky throughout the season and did have the benefit of a ton of great complementary players. The further down he lands in the lottery, the odds improve that Booker will enter a promising situation.
Except for the very elite prospects, none of the borderline lottery selections should be expected to start right away. If Booker can add bulk to his wiry 6'6", 206-pound frame and show more tenacity on defense, though, he could develop into a dependable starter in a few years.
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