NBA Mock Draft 2015: Latest Projections for Polarizing Prospects

The stock market and outlook for the 2015 NBA draft doesn't stop just because the NBA Draft Combine rests in the rearview mirror.   

There is plenty still impacting how the Association's big offseason event will unfold, including private workouts, team plans surrounding free agency, current star's opt-out plans and even prospect interviews with teams, as one case below shows.

While it's hard to figure out who will do what at the top of the order, perhaps more interesting is this year's polarizing players, of which there are many.

Below, let's take a look at a mock based on team need and value, then zoom in on a few of the most polarizing players to know.

2015 NBA First-Round Mock Draft 

Pick	Team	Selection
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	Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia
9	Charlotte Hornets	Kelly Oubre, SG, Kansas
10	Miami Heat	Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia
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	Cameron Payne, SG, Murray State
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	Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame
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 Wood, PF, UNLV

Polarizing Prospects to Watch

Christian Wood, PF, UNLV

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

This year's class is quite deep underneath the basket, so it was a bit of a surprise to see UNLV star Christian Wood enter the fray. 

At 6'11" and 220 pounds, it seems many expected Wood to add to his lone year of starting experience before going pro. He's a strong defensive enforcer, though, as his averages of 15.7 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.7 blocks show.

UNLV assistant coach Todd Simon provides a look at what one scout has to say about Wood's pro potential:

Opinions seem split, though, hence the polarizing tag.

Over at ESPN.com, Chad Ford notes in a recent update that "Lots of questions about maturity are surrounding him right now."

There's no denying Wood can come off the board in the first round and seems well worth the gamble thanks to his upside, but his up-and-down stock hints he should have waited another year. The draft results will make the final decision, though.

Prediction: Golden State selects Wood at No. 30.

Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas

Kansas' Kelly Oubre seems like one of the draft's biggest wild cards this year.

He tested great at the combine after averaging 9.3 points and 5.0 rebounds at Kansas as a freshman, although there's a similar narrative here. Ford hints Oubre too struggled with the interview process, hurting his stock.

Even without interview struggles, it's clear opinions will vary on how high Oubre should come off the board. Some will love his sheer athleticism at 6'7" and 203 pounds right along with his defensive skill, while others will knock him for a perceived status as a project on the offensive end of the court.

For his part, Oubre seems hard at work on the obvious weaknesses.

“At Kansas, I wasn’t able to show a lot of my offensive game. I made shots, but sometimes they were like bad shots,” said Oubre, per Eric Pincus of BasketballInsiders.com. “I’m working on one-on-one moves, being able to get by my defender and create for my teammate.”

At the least, an admission to struggles and showing teams a strong work ethic to improve showcase maturity and upside for teams. 

Oubre can go anywhere in the lottery outside of perhaps the top six to beyond down the order, so he's one of the top names to watch on draft day.

Prediction: Charlotte selects Oubre at No. 9.

Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia

By far the most unpredictable prospect, Kristaps Porzingis continues to confuse. 

Big men who come in at 6'11" and 220 pounds don't often tout such a silky-smooth shot from three-point land, but they also don't struggle to rebound at a consistent clip. 

Ford describes the conundrum surrounding Porzingis:

"

Porzingis continues to be the wild card in this draft. Some teams have him ranked as high as No. 2 and No. 3 on their boards, while others have him in the eight to 10 range. The teams that have him high point to his unique combination of size, athleticism and skill. It's rare to find a 7-footer who can protect the rim, shoot the 3 and make high-IQ basketball plays. Teams that have him ranked lower worry about his thin frame and lack of rebounding in Spain.

"

It's far from all bad, though. 

In fact, some of the recent reports surrounding the Latvia native are quite staggering, including what a general manager told NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper: "He could go two. He's that good. Nobody says anything bad about him."

It's jarring to think Porzingis could break into the realm of Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor, but crazier things have happened on draft day. While there's right to worry about his lack of rebounding, a role for Porzingis exists on certain teams right out of the gates.

If one player seems ready to disrupt everything the globe thinks it knows about the upcoming draft, it's Porzingis.

Prediction: Detroit selects Porzingis at No. 8.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.