2015 NBA Mock Draft: Predictions for Karl-Anthony Towns and 1st-Round Prospects

There is a great deal of uncertainty entering the 2015 NBA draft due to the buzz and speculation surrounding the top picks in the first round, but there is reason to believe that several stars could emerge from Thursday's event.

Chief among them is former Kentucky big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who appears to be the likely No. 1 overall selection of the Minnesota Timberwolves. He isn't alone, though, as Jahlil Okafor, D'Angelo Russell and a host of others boast big-time potential as well.

With the suspense finally set to end Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, here is a first-round mock draft as well as a closer look at some of the top prospects 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	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

Breaking Down Top Prospects

Karl-Anthony Towns

Most drafts feature some banter regarding the No. 1 overall pick as analysts attempt to play devil's advocate. While that has been the case leading up to Thursday with Okafor and Russell being mentioned as potential top selections, Towns certainly looks to be the smartest and safest pick for the T'Wolves.

Minnesota could shock the world by going in a different direction, but Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports is hearing that everything points toward the Timberwolves bringing in the former Wildcats standout.

Towns flashed his ability over the course of his freshman season at Kentucky, but it can be argued that sharing the floor with so many other talented players robbed him of the opportunity to show off the full extent of his game.

Even so, ESPN's Amin Elhassan is comfortable suggesting Towns is the most complete player available in the 2015 NBA draft class, according to Mike & Mike on Twitter:

Even though Towns had to share the spotlight, he showed under head coach John Calipari that he can contribute in myriad ways. Not only is he a great defender and scorer in the paint, but he can also step out and do some of the things smaller players can in terms of shooting and passing.

As pointed out by Marcus R. Fuller of the Pioneer Press, Towns is a revolutionary player of sorts due to his ability to make plays all over the court at his size:

The T'Wolves already have a potential star in the fold in guard Andrew Wiggins, but they need another in order to make progress in the loaded Western Conference.

Towns fits the bill, and his versatility is something that will give Minnesota a ton of options when it comes to molding its roster for the future.

The Dominican-American big man has all the makings of a perennial All Star, and Minnesota would be crazy to pass up on a player of his caliber.

Jahlil Okafor

While Towns may be the best all-around player in the draft, Duke center Jahlil Okafor is arguably the most dominant force offensively due to his ability to score at will around the rim.

From a production standpoint, Okafor was the best freshman in the nation this past season, and he also helped lead the Blue Devils to a national championship. He is entering the NBA with a winning track record, which is something that shouldn't be discounted.

Winning is an honored tradition within the Los Angeles Lakers organization, which may be a big reason why they are interested in Okafor. According to ESPN.com's Chad Ford, the big man from Chicago is currently favored to end up with the Lakers.

Okafor averaged over 17 points per game and shot a ridiculous 66 percent from the field this past season, and he would add a totally different dimension to L.A.'s offensive attack.

Jordan Hill was one of the Lakers' better players this past season, as he put up 12 points and nearly eight rebounds per game, but other teams weren't concerned about him dominating from the center position. Okafor, on the other hand, was the primary focus of opposing defenders every game in college.

Even with extra defenders committed to stopping him, though, Okafor still managed to thrive, per ESPN Stats & Info:

Okafor doesn't come without some concerns despite his offensive skill set. It remains to be seen if be can develop into a more consistent defender, and he only shot 51 percent from the free-throw line at Duke.

Also, ESPN's Ryen Russillo points out that Okafor isn't necessarily in elite physical condition:

That is a problem that can be fixed through hard work and dedication, and one can only assume that Okafor will be determined to get in the best shape possible if a team like the Lakers spends a high pick on him.

Perhaps no player in the 2015 class is better equipped to make an instant impact than Okafor due to his size and scoring acumen, and that is why he won't have to wait long to hear his name called.

D'Angelo Russell

While big men promise to dominate the early portion of the 2015 NBA draft, Ohio State guard D'Angelo Russell has a chance to break up the party due to his uncanny ability to both score the basketball and set up his teammates.

Russell was a somewhat unexpected superstar during his one and only season with the Buckeyes as he put up 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.0 assists per contest. He was truly a do-everything guard at OSU, and that type of player is highly coveted in the NBA.

The Lakers could potentially take him at No. 2, but if they decide to go with Okafor instead, then Russell will be there for the taking when the Philadelphia 76ers pick at No. 3. There has been some talk that the Louisville, Kentucky, native doesn't want to play for the Sixers, but he shot those rumors down, according to Spears:

ESPN's Dan Dakich has no doubt that Philly should pull the trigger on taking Russell if he is still available at No. 3 as expected:

Russell would fill a definite need for the 76ers since they traded point guard Michael Carter-Williams to the Milwaukee Bucks this past season and don't currently have a star at that position.

Due to his combination of skills, Russell would be the ideal point guard for Philadelphia. He can score in a number of different ways, but his passing is elite, which is shocking considering how recently he converted to the position, per ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman:

Despite his lack of experience at point guard, Russell is easily the best player available at that position, and he would instantly give the Sixers a dynamic player who can run the entire offense.

A team such as the New York Knicks will likely pray for the 76ers to pass on a player of Russell's caliber, but they won't make that mistake if they are truly committed to winning in the near future.

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