2015 NBA Draft: 1st-Round Order and Top 2-Way Prospects

Sometime midway through the third quarter of Golden State’s Jan. 23 win against the Sacramento Kings, it became clear to everyone in the league that the Warriors made the right choice in keeping Klay Thompson last offseason.

But while the 37-point quarter was a showcase of what Thompson could do offensively—and it’s quite a lot—the truest value the Warriors got by choosing him instead of Kevin Love was on the defensive side of the ball.

During his short time in the league, Thompson has established himself as one of the best two-way players in the league, with elite talent on both offense and defense.

A rare trait in the league today, getting a player in the draft who can excel on both offense and defense can change a team’s fortune for the better. These are some of the best two-way prospects in this year’s class.

Pick	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/SG, 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	Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia
9	Charlotte Hornets	Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona
10	Miami Heat	Kelly Oubre Jr., SF, Kansas
11	Indiana Pacers	Myles Turner, C, Texas
12	Utah Jazz	Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin
13	Phoenix Suns	Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
14	Oklahoma City Thunder	Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
15	Atlanta Hawks (from BKN)	Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
16	Boston Celtics	Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
17	Milwaukee Bucks	Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas
18	Houston Rockets (from NO)	Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
19	Washington Wizards	Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA
20	Toronto Raptors	Rondae Hollis Jefferson, SF, Arizona
21	Dallas Mavericks	Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame
22	Chicago Bulls	Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia
23	Portland Trail Blazers	Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville
24	Cleveland Cavaliers	R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State
25	Memphis Grizzlies	Robert Upshaw, C, Washington
26	San Antonio Spurs	Christian Wood, PF, UNLV
27	Los Angeles Lakers (from Hou)	Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV
28	Boston Celtics (from LAC)	Jarell Martin, PF, LSU
29	Brooklyn Nets (from ATL)	Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville
30	Golden State Warriors	Delon Wright, G, Utah

Justise Winslow, SF, Duke

Chris Steppig/Associated Press

He was once overshadowed by his teammate, Jahlil Okafor, but it didn’t take Justise Winslow long to make a name for himself as an elite prospect in his own right.

The freshman forward dominated the early stages of the season on the defensive side of the ball, able to cover four positions competently and overwhelming most college players with his athleticism.

As the season progressed, though, he started to establish himself as an offensive threat as well, using his burst of power and speed to get to the basket with authority. When Winslow would put his head down, it was just best to get out of the way and avoid any possible damage:

His shooting needs a lot of work if he is going to be a successful wing at the NBA level—a necessary trait for the modern wing player—but the teams at the top of the draft will be willing to overlook the shortcomings.

With the Orlando Magic picking at No. 5 and needing a wing to go with their duo of young guards, Winslow seems like the perfect fit to help the Eastern Conference team continue to climb the ladder back to a competitive level.

Prediction: Justise Winslow to the Orlando Magic at No. 5

Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia

No matter how hard you look, finding players who can tower over most of the league and outshoot them as well isn’t the easiest task for a scout. That's what makes Kristaps Porzingis such a sought-after prospect.

Porzingis can shoot the ball with the best of them and will be one of the best outside threats at the 4 in the league from the moment he steps on the floor.

Perhaps the biggest issue facing Porzingis at the next level as a defender is his lack of strength, which could prove to be an issue against the more physical power forwards he will face in the NBA.

But even with such a glaring issue, his ability to read the floor on defense is strong, and he will be a serious threat defending on the perimeter and jumping passing lanes with his length.

With Greg Monroe possibly on the way out of Detroit, Porzingis could be a top-level replacement, bringing a different style to the team with his ability to space the floor and hit three-pointers.

Prediction: Kristaps Porzingis to the Detroit Pistons at No. 8

Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Kentucky and Duke stole all the headlines this past year for the crazy amounts of talent on their respective rosters, but Arizona was no slouch in the talent department either. But one star emerged from the rest as the season went on for the Wildcats, with Stanley Johnson turning into one of the best two-way players in college basketball.

Averaging 13.8 points per game and bringing down 6.5 rebounds as well, Johnson has the numbers as well as the talent to earn himself a lot of hype heading into this year’s draft:

Johnson managed to surprise some with his shooting ability from all over the court and—if he stays focused—has the physicality and knowledge of the game to excel as a defender at the next level.

There is a chance Johnson is slowed down offensively when guarded by some of the better small forwards in the league, but his potential is too much to ignore.

With the spacing issues Charlotte suffered last year and its issues shooting the ball, Johnson would be a big boost for the Hornets, who don’t look to be committed to Lance Stephenson in the long term.

Prediction: Stanley Johnson to the Charlotte Hornets at No. 9