2015 NBA Draft: Bold Predictions for Fastest-Rising 1st-Round Prospects

With a deeper class that might just harvest more first-round talent than ever before, the drama will not end in the 2015 NBA draft after the first five picks. 

The shock of the Los Angeles Lakers' rise to the second pick and the New York Knicks' descent to fourth seems to have worn off. The Minnesota Timberwolves, however, have quite a choice to make between Karl Anthony-Towns and Jahlil Okafor.

But teams a bit further down the list will still have the chance to pick potential future All-Stars, as this year's installment of the draft will have plenty of surprising storylines and fresh faces.

Pick	Team	Player
1	Minnesota Timberwolves	Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky
2	Los Angeles Lakers	Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke
3	Philadelphia 76ers	Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Congo
4	New York Knicks	D'Angelo Russell, PG/SG, Ohio State
5	Orlando Magic	Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia
6	Sacramento Kings	Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky
7	Denver Nuggets	Justise Winslow, SG/SF, Duke
8	Detroit Pistons	Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia
9	Charlotte Hornets	Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
10	Miami Heat	Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
11	Indiana Pacers	Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
12	Utah Jazz	Myles Turner, PF/C, Texas
13	Phoenix Suns	Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas
14	Oklahoma City Thunder	Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
15	Atlanta Hawks	Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona
16	Boston Celtics	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona
17	Milwaukee Bucks	Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin
18	Houston Rockets	Jerian Grant, PG/SG, Notre Dame
19	Washington Wizards	Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas
20	Toronto Raptors	Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
21	Dallas Mavericks	Delon Wright, PG/SG, Utah
22	Chicago Bulls	Justin Anderson, SG/SF, Virginia
23	Portland Trail Blazers	Chris McCullough, PF, Syracuse
24	Cleveland Cavaliers	R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State
25	Memphis Grizzlies	Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville
26	San Antonio Spurs	Kevon Looney, SF/PF, UCLA
27	Los Angeles Lakers	Christian Wood, PF, UNLV
28	Boston Celtics	Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville
29	Brooklyn Nets	Olivier Hanlan, PG/SG, Boston College
30	Golden State Warriors	Dakari Johnson, C, Kentucky

Stock Up: Kristaps Porzingis

The Orlando Magic are looking for perimeter scoring; Kristaps Porzingis will be able to provide that scoring. There will be players like Justise Winslow available with the fifth pick, but it would be difficult for the Magic to turn down a guy who can run the floor and shoot with a 7'1" frame like Porzingis. 

Porzingis' long-range capabilities helped him score 11.0 points per game last season. Almost shooting 50 percent from the floor, he can only help with Orlando's shooting woes. 

Speaking to ESPN's Chad Ford, one NBA general manager described the Latvian as a "super-skilled 7-footer who can do everything well." The GM continued:

"

I was watching him warm up and had flashbacks to when I saw Pau Gasol take the floor for the first time in Spain, only this kid is much more athletic than Gasol but plays with that same fluidity. I've been asking my team since then: Are you sure he's not the No. 1 guy? Are these guys in college really better than him?

"

There are plenty of young facets that are in need of molding down in Orlando. Porzingis certainly will be one of them. But pairing up size-wise with Nikola Vucevic and helping the likes of Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton run the floor, the Magic could have the pieces set for a lethal offense.

Stock Up: Mario Hezonja

Looking at the numbers, Mario Hezonja does not boast headline-grabbing stats. Averaging 7.7 points per game, he does not seem like he would be going eighth to the Detroit Pistons. 

But according to Ford, scouts are clamoring over him. 

Possessing plenty of size at 6'8", 215 pounds, Hezonja can run the floor well, shoot the lights out of the gym and is aggressive cutting to the basket. 

"And the kid just knows how to play," a scout told Ford. "He's going to be really, really good in the NBA. He's the first wing on my board."

For a team that is in need of some shooters, Hezonja could be the perfect fit for the Pistons. 

Greg Monroe could be leaving Detroit, and there will be a need for another big man to complement Andre Drummond. While they exude two very different styles, the drastic change in play from Detroit's centers could be a tough matchup for the opposition.

Stock Up: Cameron Payne

A 6'2" sophomore point guard out of Murray State, Cameron Payne was not even sure if he was going to be entering the draft in the beginning of April, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.

Payne won the Ohio Valley Conference player of the year award this past season, averaging 20.2 points per game. Scoring 707 points in his sophomore year alone (and 1,279 for his career), he became just the second player in Murray State history to eclipse the 700-point mark in his career, according to Alec Brzezinski of Sporting News. 

Those numbers, paired with his playmaking ability, have the Oklahoma City Thunder promising Payne they'd draft him with the 14th pick if he is still available, according to ESPN.com.

With the departure of Reggie Jackson, one of the Thunder's top priorities is to find a suitable backup for Russell Westbrook. Payne could be just that and flourish in a system where he is surrounded by Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.