NBA Draft 2015: Analyzing Ideal Selections in 1st-Round Mock Draft

Every team enters the NBA draft with a plan and a best-case scenario in mind. Very few of them see the chips fall perfectly, but a handful of organizations will come away from this year's draft feeling as though everything worked in their favor.

The Minnesota Timberwolves top that list since they'll have the pick of the litter with the No. 1 overall selection. Assuming the T'Wolves take either Karl-Anthony Towns of Kentucky or Jahlil Okafor out of Duke as expected, the stage will be set for other teams to target prospects who they believe will be ideal fits at the next level.

Along with a full, first-round mock draft, here is a closer look at a few players who are in position to land with teams who figure to benefit greatly from their services.

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

Breaking Down Ideal Fits

Jahlil Okafor

It isn't often that a single draft class includes two potential superstar bigs, but that is the case this year as both Towns and Okafor could be perennial All Stars in the NBA. The Timberwolves figure to pick one of them, which means the Los Angeles Lakers should have an easy decision on their hands at No. 2.

The fact that Towns is a more complete player than Okafor figures to give him a slight edge, which means L.A. would have to "settle" for the Duke center. Okafor may prove to be a better fit for the Lakers than Towns, though, as they have a major need for a player who can dominate in the paint.

Although he missed almost his entire rookie season, forward Julius Randle figures to do big things for Los Angeles moving forward as well. As pointed out by Brian Geltzeiler of SiriusXM NBA Radio, that front-court combination could make the Lakers a factor in the Western Conference quite quickly:

Okafor was a dominant force offensively with the Blue Devils, and while his defensive game could certainly use some refining, the Lakers are very familiar with winning championships thanks largely to the play of a dominant offensive center. Okafor may not be Shaquille O'Neal, but perhaps he can have a similar impact.

The Timberwolves may ultimately pass on him, but T'Wolves head coach Flip Saunders recently paid Okafor a massive complement regarding his movement, according to KFAN 100.3:

Saunders isn't the only one raving about Okafor, though, as former Wisconsin star and fellow draft prospect Frank Kaminsky believes he may be the best player in the class.

The reigning National Player of the Year played against both Okafor and Towns in the NCAA tournament, but he favors the former, per Travis Durkee of SportingNews.com:

"

I think Jahlil is a good player. Just the way he plays and how big he is and how strong he is. He's very advanced for his age. If I was going to build a franchise, I'd think about taking either (Okafor or Towns) No. 1 overall, but my personal favorite is Jahlil just because I know him more personally.

"

The Lakers are in a great position since they could end up with either Okafor or Towns, but they also have the ability to explore other options such as Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell.

If Okafor is on the board when they pick, though, they simply can't afford to pass on him since he has the tools needed to drag the Lakers out of the NBA's basement.

Willie Cauley-Stein

While Willie Cauley-Stein had to share the floor with some super-talented players this past season at the University of Kentucky, he still managed to stand out due largely to his dogged defensive play, which is something that should translate well to the NBA.

Cauley-Stein isn't likely to blossom into a dominant offensive force at the next level, but there is certainly value in 7-footers who are defensively focused, with the likes of Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler and Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan serving as prime examples.

One team that could use a player of his caliber is the Sacramento Kings at No. 6. The Kings have a great scoring big in DeMarcus Cousins and some solid pieces outside as well such as Rudy Gay, Darren Collison and Ben McLemore. What they don't have, though, is a true rim protector.

Cauley-Stein would have no problem playing that role as he is willing to do whatever is asked of him in order to play, according to Lee K. Howard of WKYT in Lexington, Kentucky:

Also, the former Wildcats star made it clear that he has great desire and passion to continue thriving at the game of basketball, per Kyle Tucker of the Courier-Journal:

Cauley-Stein isn't a particularly flashy player, but he has shown a penchant for doing the little things needed to win basketball games. The Kings are a team in need of a culture change, and he could potentially provide it.

Simply put, Cauley-Stein is a winner, and adding him to a group of talented, young players could be that catalyst that Sacramento has needed for a long time.

Devin Booker

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

The Indiana Pacers are a team that very nearly made the playoffs this season despite struggling for much of the year. They have the makings of a squad that can compete in the Eastern Conference next season with a tweak or two, and selecting guard Devin Booker at No. 11 could bring them a step closer to contention.

Indiana was forced to play much of the season without superstar forward Paul George due to injury, but it went on a late-season run once he came back. The Pacers will be a different team with George in the lineup on a full-time basis, but they need to continue adding pieces around him.

They have some strong players up front in Roy Hibbert and David West, but their backcourt is lacking in terms of true star power. That could change if Indiana drafts Booker, as he is coming off a campaign that saw him shoot better than 41 percent from long range.

Booker also averaged 10 points per game, which was no easy task on a loaded Wildcats team. He managed to fill a role that played to his strengths, though, and he believes he can do the same in the NBA, according to Tucker:

It can be argued that Booker having to share the floor with so many other top prospects at Kentucky took away from his draft stick to some degree, but evaluators are starting to see just how talented he is.

In the eyes of CBS Sports' Doug Gottlieb, Booker is oozing with potential and deserves more attention than he has received to this point in the draft process:

Booker is an extremely young player who will need some time to truly come into his own at the NBA level, but the Pacers are a team that would allow him to get his feet wet as a rookie due to their needs at guard.

His shooting ability alone would prove to be an asset, so Indiana would be wise to consider him at No. 11 if he is still available, as he could be a great complement to George's overall skill set.

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