NBA Mock Draft 2015: Latest Projections and Comparisons for Underrated Prospects
Like any before it, the 2015 NBA draft will draw wild pro-player comparisons, stock shifts and a sense of crawling time even though the event is closer than ever.
The best way to pass the time is doing what NBA front offices continue to do—pore over film and make draft boards. A mock falls into similar territory, where the top players align based on stock and teams make picks based on need and other factors.
With so much information flying around at once, it's the best way to keep up to date on changes capable of slipping under the radar in the chaos.
Here's a fresh mock based on the mentioned factors, with a deep dive on a few notable comparisons after the jump.
2015 NBA 1st-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 | 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 |
Comparisons for Underrated Prospects
Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
Comparison: Gordon Hayward
It feels like forever ago that Wisconsin forward Sam Dekker seized the attention of the globe with his elite, clutch play in the NCAA tournament.
Dekker averaged 13.9 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as a junior but exploded for 20 or more points in three of his five Big Dance contests, showing he's an elite scorer when playing with confidence.
As Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman points out, he makes for quite an interesting case study:
Regardless, Dekker's stock continues to fall a bit with him out of the spotlight. The Gordon Hayward comparison comes from his ability to help in every aspect of the offensive game, whether it's creating for others or converting from deep.
He might struggle to find his role at the next level, though, which is the capper on the comparison. It's not a bad thing, but it does push Dekker's stock needle in the wrong direction.
Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA
Comparison: Kevin Durant
Don't get up in arms just yet.
For UCLA's Kevon Looney, this is more of a physical comparison to Kevin Durant with an encouraging nod in that direction.
Looney comes in at 6'9" and 222 pounds, with freakish athleticism capable of making him a matchup nightmare and also a nagging defender players will struggle to get around.
With the Bruins as a freshman, Looney averaged 11.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game before putting on encouraging performances and interviews at the NBA Draft Combine. ESPN.com's Chad Ford followed with an interesting stock report:
"I had a couple of teams tell me he was a lock for the top 10 (one had him at No. 5 on their board) and I had several tell me that he was a late first-rounder (one had him as low as 30). He measured with a crazy long 7-foot-3 wingspan and was great in interviews, but some teams (based on his body fat measurement and his tendency to get winded in UCLA games) question his conditioning and whether he might have asthma.
"
With Looney, the biggest thing is upside. Teams believing the already-elite athleticism can morph into a reliable scorer won't have an issue taking him in the top 15, whereas others might hold off with more pro-ready options available.
Either way, from a physical standpoint, Looney is there.
Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas
Comparison: Chris Bosh
Arkansas' Bobby Portis is a prototype.
At 6'11" and 246 pounds, Portis averaged 17.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals per game last season. He also shot 54 percent from the field and 47 percent from deep.
Got all that?
Portis is a player who can make an impact right away at the next level, and it's why one NBA general manager sounds so high on his stock, per Ford:
"He's going to be in our league a long time. He plays hard, he rebounds, and he has a shot that is ugly, but it goes in and will be very hard to block. If you're looking for a solid rotation guy with an upside as a potential starter, he's your guy. And honestly, that's all you can really expect from this portion of the draft.
"
Portis seems to know his perceived issues and remains hard at work on fixing them, as he told Boston Celtics reporter Amanda Pflugrad:
Like Chris Bosh, Portis will impact a team right away and can play both spots beneath the basket depending on what the coaches want him to do.
There's also an upside with Portis, who can continue to put on strength and work on his shot to become an even better all-around player. Look for Portis to draw more than a few Bosh comparisons during his rookie campaign.
All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.
