NBA Draft 2015: Mock Draft with Official Order Set After Lottery Results
With the conclusion of Tuesday's NBA draft lottery, where the Minnesota Timberwolves came out the big winners, the path to the 2015 NBA draft enters the home stretch.
There weren't much in the way of surprises, but now the projections as to how each team will attempt to rebuild for the future can begin in earnest.
Mock drafts are the best way to cover the most ground in a short period of time. Like the one below, most encompass a view at the prospect stock market, team needs and how the board would fall in a certain scenario.
Let's take a look.
2015 NBA 1st-Round Mock Draft
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke |
| 2 | Los Angeles Lakers | Karl-Anthony Towns, PF, Kentucky |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China |
| 4 | New York Knicks | 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) | Kevin Looney, PF, UCLA |
| 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 | Dakari Johnson, C, Kentucky |
| 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) | Rakeem Christmas, PF, Syracuse |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Christian Ford, PF, UNLV |
Breaking Down the Top Three
Minnesota Timberwolves: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke
What a time for the Timberwolves to land the draft's top selection for the first time.
Now, coach Flip Saunders and the organization can pick between the top two big men, Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor, or shock everyone and take one of the top two guards, D'Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay.
Expect the Timberwolves to take a position of need, with the presence of Ricky Rubio and Andrew Wiggins hinting at a big need below the basket. There's no wrong answer when it comes to Towns or Okafor, although they're quite different prospects.
Whereas Towns is pro-ready and can dominate on both ends of the court, Okafor is an offensive juggernaut of a big man the league hasn't seen in the draft in a long time. He averaged 17.3 points and 8.5 boards last year and is quite technically sound underneath the basket.
Look for the Timberwolves to ignore Okafor's current defensive issues, as the staff can iron them out while he develops. Minnesota wants an elite offense and gets it with Okafor on board.
Los Angeles Lakers: Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky
Even when the Los Angeles Lakers lose, they win.
Believe it or not, there were some who believed the No. 2 spot was most coveted this year because it eliminates the question about which big man to take.
Such happens for the Lakers and general manager Mitch Kupchak in this scenario.
The team enters the draft in need of a strong presence next to last year's top-five pick, Julius Randle, also out of Kentucky. The 6'11", 250-pound Towns isn't a bad way to go.
Then again, it's important to point out that the Lakers could put the selection up for grabs, as Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding notes:
As strong of a possibility as that is, in this scenario, the Lakers stick to their somewhat long-term rebuilding plan and grab a can't-miss big man.
Moving forward, Randle and Towns down low means Kupchak and the front office can focus on luring star guards such as Jimmy Butler to town in future years.
Philadelphia 76ers: Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China
The Timberwolves entered the draft lottery second to just the Philadelphia 76ers in the intrigue department.
Philadelphia, the team that can't seem to feature enough top picks on its roster, scored big in the lottery and figures to have its choice of the top guards in the class.
It's just a matter of preference. Do the 76ers want a strong off-ball scorer who shoots his way out of slumps, or a freak athlete with a high basketball IQ who can get others open with ease but struggles to knock down shots?
Mudiay is the latter and one who figures to fit well with the 76ers, as the team figures to want to move its offense through the paint with Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. The star prospect won't have any issues coming in right away and facilitating the offense through its big men, and the potential for growth as an all-around player is there.
There's no wrong pick for the 76ers, but a player who can orchestrate the collective maturity of a budding roster littered with talent seems the way to go for a team on the cusp of turning the proverbial corner.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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