NBA Mock Draft 2015: Post-Lottery Projections for 1st-Round Prospects

The 2015 NBA draft lottery has passed, providing more clarity on where the top first-round prospects should land when the draft finally arrives June 25.

Most of the pro basketball focus will be on the ongoing conference finals and then the championship series thereafter. To tide over draftniks, there's never a bad time for a mock draft.

Below is an updated mock scenario for the first round, followed by analysis on some of the marquee selections.

Pick No.	Team	Selection
1	Minnesota Timberwolves	Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C, Kentucky
2	Los Angeles Lakers	Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke
3	Philadelphia 76ers	D'Angelo Russell, PG/SG, Ohio State
4	New York Knicks	Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China
5	Orlando Magic	Justise Winslow, SF, Duke
6	Sacramento Kings	Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia
7	Denver Nuggets	Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona
8	Detroit Pistons	Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
9	Charlotte Hornets	Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky
10	Miami Heat	Mario Hezonja, SF/SG, Spain
11	Indiana Pacers	Myles Turner, PF/C, Texas
12	Utah Jazz	Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
13	Phoenix Suns	Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas
14	Oklahoma City Thunder	Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
15	Atlanta Hawks (via Brooklyn)	Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas
16	Boston Celtics	Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA
17	Milwaukee Bucks	R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State
18	Houston Rockets (via New Orleans)	Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame
19	Washington Wizards	Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
20	Toronto Raptors	Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville
21	Dallas Mavericks	Frank Kaminsky, C/PF, Wisconsin
22	Chicago Bulls	Delon Wright, PG, Utah
23	Portland Trail Blazers	Christian Wood, PF, UNLV
24	Cleveland Cavaliers	Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
25	Memphis Grizzlies	Dakari Johnson, C, Kentucky
26	San Antonio Spurs	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona
27	Los Angeles Lakers (via Houston)	Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV
28	Boston Celtics (via L.A. Clippers)	Justin Anderson, SF/SG, Virginia
29	Brooklyn Nets (via Atlanta)	Michael Frazier II, SG, Florida
30	Golden State Warriors	Jordan Mickey, PF, LSU

2015 NBA Draft Analysis

The draft is in New York, but the Knicks can't be too pleased about how the lottery shook out for them. They had the second-best odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick yet fell to No. 4 overall.

Both Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor are frontcourt cornerstones New York could use to redefine its nonexistent identity. Although it seems like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers are bound to choose those two players, ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin reports differently:

It makes sense that the Lakers would consider Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell and supremely athletic floor general Emmanuel Mudiay at No. 2 overall. The modern NBA favors perimeter players, and they're the two best in the draft by almost any measure.

But smokescreens are part of the predraft process. Los Angeles must consider pairing either Towns or Okafor with Julius Randle, especially since it would then need only a couple of precise perimeter shooters to suddenly assemble a formidable lineup.

Lakers legend Kobe Bryant seemed excited just to be in the top two after the lottery reveal:

The Timberwolves are in the most enviable position of all because they can't seem to make a bad choice between Towns and Okafor. Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy believes Minnesota is indeed building something special:

Getting out of last place in a loaded Western Conference may be a tall task. With a young core featuring Okafor or Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Ricky Rubio, though, Minnesota seems to be well on its way to finally turning things around.

Philadelphia has been rebuilding under general manager Sam Hinkie, watching a gutted roster lose a ton of games in recent years. The arrival of a perimeter stud—the pick ought to be Russell—should nicely complement young bigs Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel and eventually Dario Saric.

The only team toward the top that doesn't look promising in the near future, barring a major free-agent acquisition, is the Knicks. Team president Phil Jackson has an unquestionably successful NBA track record, and it's up to him and the New York brass to nail the pick and revive hope in the Big Apple.

As was the case in last year's draft with Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Embiid, this 2015 class has a relatively solid consensus in regard to the threesome at the top in Towns, Okafor and Russell. It will be fascinating to see the order in which they come off the board.