NBA Mock Draft 2015: First-Round Picks, Predictions for Most-Talented Prospects

With a fantastic NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers officially in the books, basketball fans are now looking toward the future of the league in the form of the 2015 NBA draft.

The 2015 class has the potential to be looked upon as one of the greatest ever at some point due to the amount of elite talent that is present. The top few picks could all turn out to be perennial All-Star selections, while the rest of the lottery is oozing with ability as well.

As one of the most exciting NBA drafts in a very long time draws closer, here is a full, first-round mock draft in addition to a closer look at some of the top talents available.

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	Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia
7	Denver Nuggets	Mario Hezonja, SG, Croatia
8	Detroit Pistons	Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona
9	Charlotte Hornets	Willie Cauley-Stein, PF, Kentucky
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, F, Syracuse

Breaking Down Top Talents

Karl-Anthony Towns

No player entered major college basketball with more fanfare than Karl-Anthony Towns this past season, and he largely lived up to it as he led Kentucky to an undefeated regular season and a berth in the Final Four before falling to Wisconsin.

Towns didn't put up massive numbers like some of his peers since he had to share the spotlight with the Wildcats, but he showed an ability to take over games when needed, and his status as an elite prospect was certainly cemented.

The best thing about Towns is that he can do a little bit of everything on the floor. He can score near the basket and rebound with the best of them with his nearly seven-foot frame, but he is also capable of extending his range, according to Dave Miller of TWC SportsNet:

Towns attempted only eight three-point field goals during his freshman campaign at Kentucky, but that can definitely be part of his repertoire in the NBA as he often shot from beyond the arc in high school. That part of his game simply wasn't needed at Kentucky.

In addition to his basketball skills, Steve Popper of the Record feels good about what Towns brings to the table from a character perspective:

There has been some debate regarding what the Minnesota Timberwolves will do with the No. 1 overall pick as both Towns and Duke center Jahlil Okafor are options. Per Mark Heisler of Forbes.com, though, an NBA source has indicated that "there's no doubt the T-Wolves are taking Towns."

Towns' collegiate coach, John Calipari, believes he would be a great fit in Minnesota since he has no reservations about going there, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune:

"Karl's the one guy who's like, 'I'm fine with Minnesota, I'd like to be in Minnesota.' There's no, like, 'Well, I could go to the Lakers.' That isn't who he is. That isn't his family, either. As soon as the lottery balls hit, he called me and said, 'Coach, I'm good in Minnesota, I'm fine there.'"

Towns certainly looks like the best all-around player in the draft, and he would make the Timberwolves a dangerous team in the Western Conference next season and beyond with guard Andrew Wiggins already in place.

It is tough to find a more complete player than Towns at his age, and the T-Wolves aren't likely to regret taking him if they decide to pull the trigger.

D'Angelo Russell

Perhaps no freshman in college basketball was more valuable to their team this past season than guard D'Angelo Russell was to Ohio State. It may not have been an all-time great year for the Buckeyes, but they almost certainly would have missed the NCAA tournament without his presence.

Russell stuffed the stat sheet during his one and only season at OSU as he averaged over 19 points, nearly six rebounds and five assists per contest. He impacts the game in many different aspects, which is likely why there has been so much talk about his ascent up draft boards in recent weeks.

According to former ESPN.com NBA writer Chris Palmer, Russell is standing out above the rest in the 2015 draft class, which is no small feat:

NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper backed that up by reporting that an NBA executive considers Russell to be the No. 1 player available:

It is unlikely that the Timberwolves will pass on Towns with the first pick, but the Los Angeles Lakers figure to have a decision on their hands between Okafor and Russell. Should they decide to go with the big man, the Philadelphia 76ers will have Russell all to themselves.

The Sixers have a ton of young talent, but they can use help at essentially every position. They would especially benefit from a player through which the offense can be run, and Russell certainly fits the bill.

Philly needs a player of his caliber, and it can't afford to pass him up if he's available.

Kristaps Porzingis

There is a certain stigma attached to European players making the leap to the NBA since many have busted over the years, but forward Kristaps Porzingis has a chance to change that perception.

The seven-foot Latvian is an extremely intriguing prospect due to his unique skill set. The fact that he is so big allows him to compete in the low block and battle on the glass, but his excellent shot is what sets him apart from most other players his size.

He has been so impressive in workouts during the lead-up to the draft that there is suddenly talk of him being one of the top picks. According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that Porzingis could go as early as No. 2:

That seems somewhat unlikely since Okafor would be a great fit in L.A., but it certainly speaks to just how highly talent evaluators rate the impressive Euro.

Despite his burgeoning profile, Porzingis is very much aware that not everyone is on his side as the draft approaches, per Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:

"

There are guys who have had incredible NBA careers—like Dirk (Nowitzki) and the Gasols (Pau and Marc) —and there are guys who haven't. They'll say, this guy is a bust. He'll be (Nikoloz) Tskitishvili, this Georgian guy. (Andrea) Bargnani, Darko (Milicic) ... That's why I am talking, because I want the fear to go away with me. I want people to get to know me. I don't want to be the mystery man from Europe. ... Some fans—they don't want a European on their team. People have opinions, but maybe they've never seen me play. There's nothing I can say, only I can go out and prove myself.

"

It is difficult to nail down precisely where Porzingis will end up since European prospects are as divisive as he suggests. There is no question that he is a lottery pick, but teams in the top five may be wary with the likes of Towns, Okafor, Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay and Justise Winslow available.

Selecting him would be a much easier sell to the fanbase with those players off the board, so look for the Sacramento Kings to be a viable landing spot at No. 6, especially since he would make for a very interesting complement to DeMarcus Cousins.

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