2015 NBA Mock Draft: Latest Predictions for Overlooked Prospects in 1st Round
A lot of time and analysis is devoted to the top prospects in the NBA draft, and rightfully so. The draft is generally extremely front-loaded, with the earlier picks providing the most value. Once you reach the late first round, it's nearly impossible to find a potential All-Star.
That's not to say teams can't find the kind of secondary stars who are often integral to a title-winning side. Jimmy Butler and Nikola Mirotic are proof of that as they were big pieces behind the Chicago Bulls' success this past year. Mason Plumlee and Rudy Gobert don't necessarily fall into that category, but they look to be steals in the 2013 draft.
The four players below are bound to be among the more overlooked first-round prospects on draft night. They're unlikely to be named to an All-NBA team, but they should all have long, fruitful careers in the league.
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony Towns, 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 | Wilie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets | Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona |
| 10 | Miami Heat | Frank Kaminsky, PF/C, Wisconsin |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | Kelly Oubre Jr., SF, Kansas |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | Myles Turner, PF/C, Texas |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks (from Nets) | Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin |
| 16 | Boston Celtics | Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks | Mouhammadou Jaiteh, C, France |
| 18 | Houston Rockets (from Hornets) | Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State |
| 19 | Washington Wizards | Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors | Tyus Jones, PG, Duke |
| 21 | Dallas Mavericks | Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls | Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers | R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville |
| 25 | Memphis Grizzlies | Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs | Jarell Martin, PF, LSU |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers (from Rockets) | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona |
| 28 | Boston Celtics (from Clippers) | Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets (from Hawks) | Delon Wright, PG, Utah |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Joseph Young, SG, Oregon |
Overlooked Prospects
22. Chicago Bulls: Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville
Both the health of Derrick Rose and the continued employment of Kirk Hinrich demonstrate the Bulls' need to upgrade at backup point guard. The first round of the NBA draft would be a good place to look since there are a handful of talented players who should fit well into a backup role.
One such star is Terry Rozier. CBS Sports' Sam Vecenie provided a favorable NBA comparison for the Louisville Cardinals point guard:
"If Rozier’s an average NBA 3-point shooter, a Lou Williams-type career becomes fairly attainable. That kind of athlete, plus competes on D.
— Sam Vecenie (@Sam_Vecenie) May 24, 2015"
Like Lou Williams, Rozier will have stretches when his irrational confidence is a bit too high and he's taking and missing ill-advised shots. He was a 30.6 percent three-point shooter during his final season with the Cards.
However, Rozier will also have those moments when he changes a game with his scoring and defending.
Putting him on a team like the Bulls with so many veteran leaders might help to smooth out that inconsistency and volatility.
24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville
It's not like the Cleveland Cavaliers will know what's going to happen with Kevin Love before the draft, but it might be a good idea to start preparing for the worst. In an interview with Grantland's Zach Lowe on The Lowe Post podcast, ESPN's Brian Windhorst posited that Love may be headed out of Cleveland this offseason, via RealGM.
Montrezl Harrell obviously wouldn't be a like-for-like replacement for Love, but his rebounding and post defense would make him a solid role player for the Cavs. Look no further than Tristan Thompson to see how a somewhat limited power forward can look a million times better playing with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.
Harrell, like Thompson, is one of those players who does the dirty work inside that often gets overlooked. Yes, he's a bit undersized for an NBA power forward, but that would be less of a problem for Harrell if he does indeed play in Cleveland with that supporting cast.
28. Boston Celtics: Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia
To a certain extent, some fans may not realize the offensive talent Justin Anderson is because Tony Bennett's system was so plodding and methodical. Anderson only averaged 12.2 points a game last season.
But make no mistake, Anderson is a very good spot-up shooter. He knocked down a cool 45.2 percent of his threes during his junior year with the Virginia Cavaliers. He can't necessarily create off the dribble, but plenty of guys are thriving in the league despite having the same issue Anderson does.
What could sell the Boston Celtics even more on Anderson is that he's already on board with potentially having Brad Stevens as his head coach, per Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe:
Anderson's athleticism and work on the defensive end would also be welcome additions to the Celtics.
29. Brooklyn Nets: Delon Wright, PG, Utah
At 23 years old, Delon Wright might as well be considered a geriatric heading into the NBA draft. Kyrie Irving has been to the last three All-Star Games, and he's a month younger than Wright. Twenty-three is young in most respects, but not when it comes to an incoming NBA rookie.
Wright's age is bound to turn some teams off. Should the Utah Utes point guard fall too far, he'd provide tremendous value to a team hoping to contend for the playoffs in 2016. The Brooklyn Nets should fall into that category, and they undoubtedly need a point guard.
Wright likely won't have a massive ceiling in the NBA, but he's the kind of point guard who makes the right pass and holds his own on the defensive end. The fact that his three-point percentage rose from .222 to .356 over his last two seasons also offers optimism that his shooting can continue trending upward.
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