2015 NBA Mock Draft: 1st-Round Predictions and Assessing Buzz on Top Prospects
The home stretch of NBA draft season is upon us, with mere hours remaining until prospects head to the green room and wait to hear their names called by prospective employers.
But which coveted players are going to rise and fall on Thursday? Well, that's where things get interesting.
With the stock of noteworthy prospects seemingly rising and falling by the day, we've got a fresh batch of first-round predictions complete with updates on the draft's most compelling lottery prospects.
| 1 | Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C, Kentucky |
| 2 | Los Angeles Lakers | Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State |
| 4 | New York Knicks | Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia |
| 5 | Orlando Magic | Justise Winslow, SF, Duke |
| 6 | Sacramento Kings | Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky |
| 7 | Denver Nuggets | Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China |
| 8 | Detroit Pistons | Mario Hezonja, SF, Croatia |
| 9 | Charlotte Hornets | Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona |
| 10 | Miami Heat | Myles Turner, PF/C, Texas |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky |
| 12 | Utah Jazz | Frank Kaminsky, PF, Wisconsin |
| 13 | Phoenix Suns | Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky |
| 14 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State |
| 15 | Atlanta Hawks | Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas |
| 16 | Boston Celtics | R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State |
| 17 | Milwaukee Bucks | Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas |
| 18 | Houston Rockets | Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame |
| 19 | Washington Wizards | Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville |
| 20 | Toronto Raptors | Delon Wright, PG, Utah |
| 21 | Dallas Mavericks | Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin |
| 22 | Chicago Bulls | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona |
| 23 | Portland Trail Blazers | Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA |
| 24 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jarell Martin, SF/PF, LSU |
| 25 | Memphis Grizzlies | Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV |
| 26 | San Antonio Spurs | Chris McCullough, PF, Syracuse |
| 27 | Los Angeles Lakers | Tyus Jones, PG, Duke |
| 28 | Boston Celtics | Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia |
| 29 | Brooklyn Nets | Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville |
| 30 | Golden State Warriors | Dakari Johnson, C, Kansas |
D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State
It wasn't long ago that the Philadelphia 76ers were projected to land Latvian stretch 4 Kristaps Porzingis with the third pick in the 2015 draft, according to ESPN.com's Chad Ford.
But this is draft season, and narratives shift quickly.
The latest rumblings have Porzingis sliding a spot or two, with Ohio State point guard D'Angelo Russell landing in the spot that's made the most sense all along.
"League sources say the Sixers want D'Angelo Russell and are willing to trade up from the No. 3 spot to get him," CBSSports.com's Ken Berger wrote.
Philadelphia has gaping holes at both backcourt spots, and Russell could plug the void at point guard nicely. With Tony Wroten recovering from a partial ACL tear and Ish Smith and Isaiah Canaan nothing more than back-end rotational stopgaps, Russell packs the off-the-dribble creativity Philadelphia sorely needs.
According to HoopsStats.com, Philadelphia's backcourt ranked 22nd (39.9 points per game) in scoring last season while shooting a 28th-ranked 39.1 percent from the field.
While it had previously been reported that Russell wanted to avoid playing for the Sixers, he refuted those assertions in a recent appearance on ESPN's SportsCenter, according to SNY.tv's Adam Zagoria:
"The workout [with the Sixers] was great. What guy wouldn't want to play for any NBA team? I [saw] Fran Fraschilla Tweet 95 percent of the Tweets this week are just a misdirection, and starting with that one. I never would say anything like that. I know what I've come from and I know what I've been through and it would just be a blessing to play in the NBA.
"
If the Sixers opt for someone other than Russell on draft day, it will be a head-scratcher, to say the least.
Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky
Mystery is shrouding every prospect not named Russell, Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns at this stage, and Kentucky center Willie Cauley-Stein is no exception.
According to DraftExpress.com's Jonathan Givony, Cauley-Stein could plummet toward the back end of the lottery due to past medical problems:
"Uncertainty surrounding Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein's foot could impact his standing in Thursday night's NBA Draft, league executives tell DraftExpress.
Cauley-Stein suffered a stress fracture in his ankle on March 28th of 2014 in Kentucky's NCAA Tournament victory over Louisville, and had a pin inserted via surgery to repair what Cauley-Stein described then as a "cracked bone or a stress fracture." The injury may have occurred in Kentucky's opening game against Kansas State, until he finally heard a "pop" in his words against Louisville two games later. …Five separate NBA teams we spoke with all indicated varying degrees of concern after consulting with their team doctors this week, with some saying it may cost the Kentucky big man a few spots on draft night. "There is some maintenance that needs to be done there, as it's not completely clear whether the injury healed in a proper way. The pin that was inserted is supposed to be sitting at a 90 degree angle, but instead it's at 45 degrees. That, plus some question marks about his background that came up could cause him to drop a few slots."
"
The foot injury is a legitimate cause for concern, but if Cauley-Stein falls to the Sacramento Kings at No. 6 overall, the team's front office should jump all over him.
Ailments be damned, Cauley-Stein offers tremendous defensive versatility. He can defend all five positions, confidently switch onto ball-handlers in the pick-and-roll and block shots effectively using his 7'3" wingspan.
The bouncy 21-year-old big even went out of his way to dispel rumors that his foot will be an issue at the next level.
"Ask the Miami Heat," Cauley-Stein said, referring to his predraft workout, according to the Courier-Journal's Kyle Tucker. "I was kissing the rim. They don't think there's anything wrong with it."
If Cauley-Stein somehow slides past Sacramento at No. 6, he could be an absolute steal for a club like the Indiana Pacers, who are looking to play faster with more nimble athletes in the middle next season.
Frank Kaminsky, PF, Wisconsin
Could Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky really sneak into the top five?
According to Sporting News' Sean Deveney, he just may:
"Kaminsky would not have gone to New York unless the interest from the Knicks was real. And he was assured that it was, that the team would not waste his time or theirs unless there was a chance he would wind up with the Knicks.
That’s why one of the topics of discussion at the Knicks meeting was bucking conventional wisdom, passing on guards D’Angelo Russell and/or Emmanuel Mudiay and taking Kaminsky — whose versatility makes him a natural fit in the triangle offense — with the fourth overall pick, two league sources told Sporting News. If they do pass on the two guards expected to be on the board, the Knicks are also considering Willie Cauley-Stein and Justise Winslow with the No. 4 pick, though Cauley-Stein appears to be slipping.
"
Berger reports the New York Knicks have toyed with the idea of trading down for Kaminsky while accruing other assets in the process. However, such a move would be accompanied by considerable risk, since there's no guarantee Kaminsky will be available at the team's new draft slot.
If the Knicks decide against selecting Kaminsky at No. 4, it appears likely he'll drop somewhere into the 10-14 range. That would leave playoff-contending squads like the Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder to vie for his polished services.
"Every team is looking for shooting, and guys with his combination of size and outside stroke tend to be at least successful role players in the NBA—Channing Frye, Ryan Anderson and Spencer Hawes are just a few examples," NBA.com's Charlie Widdoes wrote.
Kaminsky may have a relatively low ceiling at 22 years old, but his high floor should be attractive to teams looking for immediate contributions from their lottery pick.
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