NBA Mock Draft 2015: 1st-Round Projections and Stock Watch for Top Prospects
With the NBA Draft Combine over and the last major milestone on the calendar the 2015 NBA draft itself approaching, there's enough movement on the Association's stock market to make the runners of the real stock market blush.
There's a little bit of everything, too.
There are players who killed it in interviews, helping teams to forgive on-court issues. There are surprise players scouts didn't pay enough attention to, at least not until now. There are even prospects graded wildly differently on a team-to-team basis, even by round.
It's a lot to keep up with, and mock drafts provide an all-encompassing swoop. Here's one based on team need and the stock market, followed by some of the biggest movers.
2015 NBA First-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) | Kevon 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 |
Stock Watch for Top Prospects
Stock Up: Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
The prospect killing it in interviews? Duke's Tyus Jones.
Jones isn't a bad player, by any means. As a freshman he averaged 11.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists while shooting 42 percent from the floor. Feel free to sprinkle in a strong Big Dance performance, too.
Great, but he's just 6'2" and 185 pounds, and it's hard to stand out in a guard class headlined by D'Angelo Russell and Emmanuel Mudiay, not to mention other solid first-round options such as Cameron Payne and Jerian Grant.
According to ESPN.com's Chard Ford, though, Jones might have closed the gap thanks to interviews:
"Jones walks away with the award for most impressive interviews at the combine. Every team that spoke with him came away with a crush. "He's such a confident leader," one GM said. "He's all about winning and accountability. It's hard not to love guys like that. Especially when they see the floor as well as he does and win like he does." His measurements turned out to be OK -- 6 feet, 0.75 inches in socks (so roughly 6-2 in shoes) with a 6-5 wingspan -- nothing to get excited about, but not detrimental either (he's roughly the same size as Mike Conley). But his athletic testing numbers are the things that gave pause.
"
Sometimes the off-court factors matter as much as the on-court ability.
This might be the case with Jones, who has a clear role at the next level as a rotational piece with room to improve. Sometimes a sure thing isn't a bad thing, so look for a team with coaches who trust Jones to pull the trigger in the mid-first round.
Stock Down: Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA
Kevon Looney's stock seems all over the place, which is never a good thing.
It's much more preferable to have a set value than to have stock that is "the most fluid of anyone in our top 30," as Ford writes. He goes on to explain that some teams like the UCLA product in the lottery, others don't have him in the first round.
So what's the issue?
Looney averaged 11.6 points, 9.2 boards and 1.4 assists per game last year on 47 percent shooting, but his 6'9", 222-pound frame leaves something to be desired, as does an apparent ease of getting winded on tape, per Ford.
There's still a lot to like, as Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey helps to point out:
Thanks to a 42 percent conversion rate from downtown, there's an immediate role for Looney at the next level as a piece who can stretch the court.
It sounds, though, like most teams view him as a risk. The upside is immense, but his stock's inability to settle says a lot.
Stock Up: Trey Lyles, F, Kentucky
Speaking of upside, Kentucky's Trey Lyles offers plenty of it. He is one season removed from averaging 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds on 49 percent shooting from the floor despite a stacked roster around him.
Candace Buckner of the Indianapolis Star provides a look at how one team views Lyles right out of the gate:
At 6'10" and 242 pounds, it's no wonder the NBA continues to buzz about Lyles' upside, with Ford even mentioning he "was surprised by how consistently teams had Lyles ranked in the lottery."
It's not hard to wonder what numbers Lyles could have posted at a smaller program and where his stock would be as a result.
As teams play the "what if" game and keep watching his stock, Lyles only continues to shoot up draft boards.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
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