2015 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions for Riskiest 1st-Round Prospects

The NBA draft can't come soon enough. LeBron James against Stephen Curry in the NBA Finals? Please. We all just want answers to this Karl-Anthony Towns-Jahlil Okafor debate, as well as whatever the New York Knicks are cooking up.

The synopsis of this draft pool is that there are supposedly four consensus superstar prospects, followed by an extremely deep, yet unpredictable crop of talent. There are a couple of big European prospects followed by a militia of one-and-done guys. Deciphering which ones are worth the risk is the unenviable task that will get general managers across the league either praised or fired.

Here are the predictions for where the riskiest prospects might land, as well as what sort of impact you can expect in this edition of the 2015 NBA mock draft.

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

Kristaps Porzingis

Stop me if you've heard this before: 7'0", multitalented European big man with open-floor ability, a smooth jumper, defensive aggressiveness and great athleticism. He could be the next Dirk Nowitzki!

Of course, the past failures of guys like Jan Vesely, Darko Milicic and Nikoloz Tskitishvili have no bearing on Latvia's Kristaps Porzingis. He could turn out to be nothing like them. However, it is just so difficult to buy into that notion.

General managers must have short memories. The hype around Porzingis has gotten so loud that there is now even discussion of him going as high as No. 4 to the Knicks. Porzingis himself would welcome that notion, according to Sports Illustrated.

“For sure, it's a big spotlight being here, playing here in New York, a lot of pressure,” Porzingis said. “But I would love to play here one day with the Knicks, and hopefully they pick me.”

I have Porzingis landing with the Sacramento Kings at No. 6. In theory, he could slot alongside DeMarcus Cousins and dominate opposing defenses for years to come, but his lack of strength is a massive concern.

He is 7'1" and just 220 pounds, with a slender frame that doesn't look like it can support too much added muscle. He also shows very little when it comes to finishing around the rim due to a lack of explosiveness and power. Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey also pointed out one other huge flaw that could crush him at the next level:

"

Kristaps Porzingis worries me. How many overseas prospects were billed as the big who can shoot, but turned out to be Nikoloz Tskitishvili?

— Andy Bailey (@AndrewDBailey) June 1, 2015"

Porzingis could be the guy to break this trend of foreign busts, but he looks much more like an Andrea Bargnani than a Dirk Nowitzki.

Myles Turner

Texas big man Myles Turner arrived on campus as one of the nation's most elite recruits, and he showed flashes of what made him so highly regarded.

Fans would have liked to see more than just the flashes, as Turner shrunk more than once in big games, but his ability is undeniable. In fact, he has some similarities to Porzingis.

But Turner will not be a bust.

Like Porzingis, Turner is long and lanky with a solid jumper, but he has the frame and strength to withstand added weight and strength.

Keith Langlois of NBA.com presents an interesting comparison for Turner: Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond.

"I have versatility in my game," said Turner, who interviewed with the Pistons during May's draft combine. "Andre Drummond is more of a rim protector and can play down low, not much of a jump shooter. We could be interchangeable."

Turner should be there for Detroit, but the Pistons have bigger needs. Should he wind up with the Indiana Pacers, he will be able to come along slowly as Roy Hibbert continues to wear out his welcome.

Indy is a good fit for Turner because he could use the veteran leadership of David West to toughen him up. His talent is too great for him to wind up being a spot-up shooter, and the regime in Indianapolis would thwart that possibility.

Kevon Looney

The UCLA freshman is one of the more difficult prospects to project in this draft. Looney proved as a Bruin that he can stretch the floor—he shot 41.5 percent from three—but he exhibits very little offensively aside from hustle points on the offensive glass and spot-up jumpers. He has good defensive instincts and a projectable frame, but seems to be a bit of a tweener.

Where does Looney fit in?

His boom-or-bust label could result in him being selected much higher than 20th. Some team in the lottery could easily roll the dice on Looney hoping that he can fully tap into his abilities.

Expect him to fall somewhere in between, which is unlikely for a boom-or-bust guy. NBADraft.net compared him to Dallas Mavericks forward Al-Farouq Aminu, a player he could certainly end up becoming similar to.

Nathan Giese of HoopsHabit presented this telling stat that shows just how dynamic Looney can be:

All things considered, the Toronto Raptors should end Looney's fall at No. 20. He fits in with what they are trying to do while also leaving plenty of room open for him to reach his full potential. No one is going to expect Looney to become the next Chris Bosh north of the border, but he has the skill set to do so.