NBA Mock Draft 2015: Order of Selections and 1st-Round Predictions

There is no shortage of hype surrounding the 2015 NBA draft because of the level and depth of talent it possesses, and the anticipation has grown significantly since the 2014-15 NBA season reached its conclusion.

All eyes are on the next era of basketball stars, and the upcoming draft class has the potential to cultivate many of them. For every obvious name like Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor, though, plenty of others will enter the league with less fanfare.

Here is a full first-round mock draft that will predict the fate of not only the marquee players in the 2015 NBA draft but also some of the less-heralded prospects who still have a chance to make a big impact if they land in the right situation.

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

Unsung Potential First-Round Picks

Norman Powell

There is often a stigma attached to seniors in the NBA draft since the perception is that they would have entered early if they were truly great prospects. However, there is no question that staying in school for four years can be beneficial in terms of preparing players for the next level.

UCLA guard Norman Powell is a great example of that, as he took a huge leap forward in his senior season with the Bruins. He set career highs with over 16 points, two assists and nearly five rebounds per game as he became a key part of UCLA's offense after previously serving as a role player.

Powell is an intriguing player since he can do so many different things. Not only has he proved capable of taking the lead and being a top option, but he is also comfortable with finding his niche and letting the stars around him shine.

Because of that, a scout told ESPN.com's Chad Ford that Powell is going to do everything he can to land on an NBA roster, according to Jack Wang of the Los Angeles Daily News:

While that particular scout may not view Powell as a first-rounder, he has a diverse enough skill set to change that perception leading up to the draft. Many teams are intrigued by him based upon the number of workouts he had, and every indication is that he put on some strong performances.

Rodger Bohn of Slam magazine is especially impressed with the San Diego native's ability to make himself available for open opportunities:

The NBA is very much a shooting league at this point, and there is no question that Powell's shot-making ability will appeal to most pro teams.

He may not have "star" written all over him, but it is tough to envision Powell failing to develop into at least a quality rotational guy with leadership tendencies to boot.

Jarell Martin

LSU forward Jarell Martin is among the most intriguing prospects in the 2015 draft class. He averaged nearly a double-double per game in his sophomore season, and his prowess in the paint could make him an effective player at the next level.

Martin put up nearly 17 points and nine rebounds per contest with the Tigers during the 2014-15 campaign. He has good length for the power forward position at 6'10" and is relentless near the basket. Martin can even step out and hit some mid-range jumpers, which increases his value significantly.

While he has been overshadowed as part of a draft class that includes several highly touted forwards, Steve Kyler of BasketballInsiders.com believes he has what it takes to be a factor in the NBA:

Perhaps more importantly, though, Martin has the mentality needed to be successful at the next level, as he intends to put in the work:

There is no arguing against the notion that he is a work in progress, but he has a lot working in his favor. His size and array of post moves should serve him well, while his aggressiveness on the boards will endear him to his teammates.

He can afford to improve defensively and needs to impose his will a bit more at the offensive end as well; however, he could be a pleasant surprise as a selection in the latter stages of the opening round.

Chris McCullough

Brett Carlsen/Getty Images

Forward Chris McCullough played only 450 minutes in one season at Syracuse before a torn ACL put him on the shelf, but he showed enough during that time to warrant consideration as a first-round pick.

The Bronx, New York, native put up over nine points, nearly seven rebounds and two blocks per game for the Orange, and it seemed as though he had only scratched the surface of his potential under head coach Jim Boeheim.

McCullough is talented, but there are concerns regarding his health. According to Mike Waters of Syracuse.com, however, McCullough's agent, Steve Pina, is pleased with the manner in which his client has healed.

"All the players go through a variety of tests like X-rays, MRIs and echocardiograms," Pina said. "For Chris, that was extremely important for them to check out his knee and make sure his rehab was coming along well. ... So, Chris right now is just continuing his rehab. He's doing unbelievably well."

While it may take McCullough some time to make a true impact in the NBA because of the knee injury, he is a tantalizing prospect who can potentially fill several different roles.

Per Jay King of MassLive.com, some believe that McCullough could play either forward position, even though he hasn't developed much as a shooter yet:

He scored the bulk of his points near the basket, but if he can continue to extend his range toward the three-point line, then the 6'9" big man will become a handful for opposing defenders.

The team that takes McCullough will be gambling on his physical attributes more so than what he has shown to this point, but he is worth a roll of the dice late in the first round since he may well have been a lottery pick if not for the torn ACL.

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