NBA Mock Draft 2015: Projections for Top Point-Guard Prospects
Three of the five teams left in the NBA postseason have elite point guards. Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors took home the league MVP this season. The lead guard position has never been more important in basketball.
With that said, there's two clearly elite point-guard prospects in this draft, and one that is very underrated. The text in this mock will focus on each of them.
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke |
| 2 | New York Knicks | D'Angelo Russell, G, Ohio State |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China |
| 4 | Los Angeles Lakers | Karl-Anthony Towns, PF, Kentucky |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | Justise Winslow, SF, Duke |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings | Willie Trill Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets | Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin |
| 10 | Miami Heat | Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | Kelly Oubre, SG, Kansas |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | Frank Kaminsky, PF/C, Wisconsin |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | Myles Turner, C/PF, Texas |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks (from Brooklyn Nets) | Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky |
| 16 | Boston Celtics | Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks | Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA |
| 18 | Houston Rockets (from New Orleans Pelicans) | Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame |
| 19 | Washington Wizards | Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors | Christian Wood, PF, UNLV |
| 21 | Dallas Mavericks | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls | Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers | R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jordan Mickey, PF, LSU |
| 25 | San Antonio Spurs | George Lucas de Paula, SG, Brazil |
| 26 | Memphis Grizzlies | Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers (from Houston Rockets) | J.P. Tokoto, SG, North Carolina |
| 28 | Boston Celtics (from Los Angeles Clippers) | Delon Wright, PG, Utah |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets (from Atlanta Hawks) | Rakeem Christmas, PF, Syracuse |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Robert Upshaw, C, Washington |
D'Angelo Russell
The Duke Blue Devils' Jahlil Okafor and Kentucky Wildcats' Karl-Anthony Towns are the players most likely to be selected No. 1 in the draft, but no prospect has more star potential than D'Angelo Russell. The former Ohio State Buckeyes guard only augmented his status at the NBA combine.
He measured at 6'5" with an impressive 6'9 3/4" wingspan. While his measurements sound like that of a shooting guard—and Russell can play that position as well—he'll be the most dynamic at the point. He averaged five assists and 19.3 points per game as a freshman. Even with those strong numbers throughout the season, it was clear he was capable of doing much more. He has excellent instincts, feel and he made 41 percent of his threes.
There isn't a prospect with a better chance to make an immediate impact as an offensive force.
Emmanuel Mudiay
Emmanuel Mudiay has the best combination of athleticism and size of any prospect at the position. Mudiay didn't have any recorded measurements at the combine, but when he was last measured at the Hoop Summit, he was 6'5" and weighed 200 pounds. Mudiay played in the Chinese Basketball Association last season, but at 19 years old, he still has tremendous upside.
He's not nearly as polished as Russell, but because of his speed and hops, there could be some thoughts that he deserves to be the top point-guard prospect.
It'll be interesting to see if he's able to separate himself from Russell as the top backcourt prospect in the draft.
Jerian Grant
No one puts Jerian Grant in the same category as Russell and Mudiay as a prospect, and while that's understandable, the former Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard is a bit underrated. He also has excellent size for the position at 6'4 1/4" and playmaking skills. As a senior, Grant averaged 6.6 assists per game. The most impressive aspect of Grant's game is his ability to take care of the ball.
He only turned the ball over 2.2 times per game to accumulate the coveted 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. Grant does need to work to improve his outside shooting as he only made 31.6 percent of his threes, but that's something he can fix with repetition.
He could be a steal as a late-lottery or mid-first-round pick.
All height and measurements per DraftExpress unless otherwise noted.
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