NBA Mock Draft 2015: 1st-Round Predictions, Breakdown of Top Prospects

We are just about three weeks away from the 2015 NBA draft, and some of college basketball's biggest stars are on the cusp of the professional ranks.

Naturally, some of the nation's top college hoops players will translate into elite NBA players. However, there are exceptions. 

Doug McDermott of Creighton, last year's Naismith Men's College Player of the Year, landed with the Chicago Bulls and took on a reserve role. He was merely a spectator when the postseason rolled around.

That is not always the case. College standouts such as Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin and Anthony Davis became instant superstars. On the other end of the spectrum is Jimmer Fredette.

This 2015 crop of players is loaded with college standouts, from Naismith award winner Frank Kaminsky to NCAA champions Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow of Duke. 

Here's the latest NBA mock draft from Bleacher Report:

Pick	Team	Player
1	Minnesota Timberwolves	Karl-Anthony Towns, C, 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	Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia
6	Sacramento Kings	Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky
7	Denver Nuggets	Justise Winslow, SF, Duke
8	Detroit Pistons	Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona
9	Charlotte Hornets	Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
10	Miami Heat	Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas
11	Indiana Pacers	Myles Turner, C, Texas
12	Utah Jazz	Mario Hezonja, SF, Croatia
13	Phoenix Suns	Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin
14	Oklahoma City Thunder	Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
15	Atlanta Hawks	Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
16	Boston Celtics	Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
17	Milwaukee Bucks	Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA
18	Houston Rockets	Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
19	Washington Wizards	Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas
20	Toronto Raptors	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, 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	Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV
28	Boston Celtics	Chris McCullough, PF, Syracuse
29	Brooklyn Nets	Jarell Martin, PF, LSU
30	Golden State Warriors	Delon Wright, PG, Utah

Wisconsin big man Kaminsky earned college basketball's top honor, while Okafor, Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein and Notre Dame's Jerian Grant were all finalists. 

Can Kaminsky Find a Niche in the NBA?

Kaminsky averaged more than 18.0 points and 8.0 assists per game en route to being named the Big Ten Player of the Year, and he lifted the Badgers to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

We pegged Kaminsky as a potential fit for the Phoenix Suns at No. 13 as a non-traditional big man to complement Alex Len. 

For one, Len is extremely susceptible to injury. But if healthy, he and Kaminsky have extremely different skill sets that surely will allow the two 7-footers to coexist on the court.

According to Hoop-Math.com, Kaminsky took 70 percent of his shots at the rim, 45.5 percent on two-point jump shots and 41.6 percent from downtown this past season. That means Kaminsky could fill in as a stretch 4 while Len commands the paint. 

Whether it's Phoenix or a different team, Kaminsky needs to land in a spot where he does not have to be a traditional center. His offensive skill set does not cater to that expectation. Instead, his versatility and ability to shoot from multiple spots on the floor best suit him for a team that'll allow him to have a different role.

Okafor as Potential Top Pick, a Franchise Cornerstone

Jahlil Okafor was a freshman All-American on the NCAA champion Duke Blue Devils, and he's widely considered a lock to be either the No. 1 or 2 pick in the NBA draft. 

The 6'11" center averaged 17.7 points and 9.0 boards per game for Duke and shot almost 67 percent from the field this past season, the second-best mark in the nation.

Okafor's size, strength, 7'5" wingspan and his ability to also play with touch around the rim likely has the Los Angeles Lakers chomping at the bit to pair him with Julius Randle and completely revamp the team's frontcourt. 

Just 19 years old and coming off a fantastic college season, the sky is the limit for Okafor, who, according to most scouting reports, has all the physical tools and natural basketball IQ to be an effective NBA center. So much so that ESPN.com's Chad Ford reported that Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Flip Saunders prefers Okafor to Karl-Anthony Towns.

Cauley-Stein a Highly Coveted Prospect

Kentucky big man Towns may be the top overall pick in the draft, but his teammate and fellow frontcourt player Willie Cauley-Stein is proving to be one of the most wanted players as June 25 approaches.

Cauley-Stein was the SEC's Defensive Player of the Year and is expected to have that kind of impact at the next level. This past season, he became the first player in Kentucky history to register 200 or more blocks and 100 or more steals in his college career.

The other Wildcats standout has been connected to trades involving the Boston Celtics and has been discussed as the No. 4 pick by the New York Knicks, according to Ford.

More trade talks involving Cauley-Stein will likely take place leading up to June 25 because he's a standout player among the pack as one of the best potential NBA defenders. 

Luke Winn of Sports Illustrated said Cauley-Stein "might still be underrated" because of his ability to defend the rim, force turnovers and defend all over the court. While there is certainly a ceiling for Cauley-Stein's offensive game, his defense will be his best commodity in the professional ranks.

Grant Best Suited to be a Role Player?

The Notre Dame point guard led the Irish in scoring at almost 17.0 points per game and with an ACC-best 6.6 assists-per-game average. The senior was an All-ACC selection and the Most Valuable Player during the conference tournament. 

At 6'5", Grant boasts excellent size for a point guard. Though he did his fair share of scoring at Notre Dame, he's truly unselfish and has the potential to thrive as an offensive distributor in the pros. 

Already a bit of veteran at 22 years old, Grant is considered to have a high ceiling as well as a high basement. In a draft profile on DraftExpress.com, Jonathan Givony said despite question marks about his toughness and ability to absorb contact, Grant has very little downside. 

At the same time, he does not have as much promise as some of the other point guards in the class:

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While he certainly doesn't have the same type of upside as many of the underclassmen who will get picked, he also doesn't share much of the downside. Grant's ability to play both guard positions should help him get on the floor early on in his NBA career, and if he's able to address some of his deficiencies, he'll have no problem carving out a strong career for himself as a versatile role-player.

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For a player expected to be a mid- to late first-round pick, there's a very high degree of safeness about picking Grant. At worst, Grant is a valuable backup point guard, and because of where he'll likely be drafted, he can do so on a competitive team.

As for the upside, the former Irish star has the ability to be both a scorer and distributor, and if he can work out some of the kinks in his game and overcome the question marks, he can wind up being a late first-round steal.