NBA Draft Results 2015: Full Listings of Grades and Picks

An unpredictable 2015 NBA draft wasted no time deviating from the original script.

For months, all talks centered around Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor competing for top billing. Not only did Towns pull away before Thursday night's draft, but Ohio State's D'Angelo Russell leapfrogged Okafor.

The top three selections were supposed to be predictable. After that, the ensuing squads wasted no time shredding months of mock drafts.

It's prudent to display more patience than New York Knicks fans in attendance, as it will take years before anyone can truly identify the top studs and duds. Yet the draft cycle craves immediacy, so let's take an early stab at grading each team's draft.

Draft Results

Draft Grades

Team	Grade	Note
Atlanta Hawks	B-	Acquiring Tim Hardaway Jr. gives Atlanta instant offense off the bench.
Boston Celtics	C+	Rozier is an odd choice given his similarities to Marcus Smart. Hunter, on the other hand, gives the Celtics a deep-shooting threat.
Brooklyn Nets	B	Although an unpolished offensive player, Hollis-Jefferson could become one of the league's most feared defenders. McCullough gives Brooklyn fans something rare to look forward to down the road.
Charlotte Hornets	C+	Charlotte remains intent on aiming for the middle, taking the NBA-ready Kaminsky despite his limited ceiling.
Chicago Bulls	B+	Chicago gets a good value and big body for the bench in Portis.
Cleveland Cavaliers	B-	The Cavaliers probably would have been better-served drafting Jones for themselves, but they accumulate depth with a trio of late role players.
Dallas Mavericks	B+	A terrific defender who improved his shooting last season, Anderson represents a strong three-and-D pick for Dallas.
Denver Nuggets	A-	A top-five pick for most of the predraft circuit, Mudiay slides to Denver at No. 7. This likely foreshadows a Ty Lawson trade.
Detroit Pistons	B	Stanley Johnson was probably their guy heading into the night, but the Pistons should have considered calling an audible with Winslow available.
Golden State Warriors	B+	The defending champions can afford to gamble on Looney, who fell to No. 30 because of a feared hip injury.
Houston Rockets	B	Dekker, a 34.8 percent career three-point shooter, is an odd fit for Houston. Yet he and Harrell are solid overall values.
Indiana Pacers	B	With David West likely on the way out, Turner will fight to take his spot as a power forward with a strong mid-range shot.
Los Angeles Clippers	C	The Clippers bought the rights to Dawson, the No. 56 pick, from the Pelicans. He's an explosive athlete who will look to make the roster on defensive merits.
Los Angeles Lakers	A-	Russell is an explosive, playmaking guard with superstar potential. The bold pick will especially pay off if the Lakers sign a big man.
Memphis Grizzlies	B-	Memphis doesn't already have enough size? Another shooter would have made more sense than Martin.
Miami Heat	A	Miami got the night's biggest steal in Winslow at pick No. 10.
Milwaukee Bucks	B+	Milwaukee needs shooting, and Vaughn can shoot.
Minnesota Timberwolves	A	Towns is a potental two-way star, and Jones offers an essential insurance plan for the oft-injured Ricky Rubio.
New Orleans Pelicans	C	The Pelicans didn't own their first-rounder and dealt away both second-round selections.
New York Knicks	B+	Facing a severe lack of future assets, the Knicks swung for the fences with Porzingis. Trading for Grant makes it easier to shallow not taking Mudiay.
Oklahoma City Thunder	B+	The Thunder needed someone besides Russell Westbook and Kevin Durant capable of generating points. Payne helps there, and Dakari Johnson is well worth the second-round flier.
Orlando Magic	B+	While probably not the best player available, Hezonja was the best shooter, and Orlando badly needed a shooter.
Philadelphia 76ers	A-	Sticking to their best-player-available approach, the 76ers took the obvious pick in Okafor despite already rostering Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid.
Phoenix Suns	B	Booker's shooting will help Phoenix's cluttered offense.
Portland Trail Blazers	B	If afforded a bigger role, Mason Plumlee will shine away from Brooklyn.
Sacramento Kings	B-	Cauley-Stein will help Sacramento's subpar defense, but he'll struggle to match Mudiay or Winslow's overall impact.
San Antonio Spurs	B+	The Spurs get the benefit of the doubt when locating long-term international investments.
Toronto Raptors	B	Wright provides Toronto a tenacious defender to spell Kyle Lowry.
Utah Jazz	B	Utah doesn't have an immediate need for a big man, but Lyles proved too talented to pass up.
Washington Wizards	B+	Knowing Paul Pierce won't be around for much longer, Washington traded up for his future replacement in Oubre.

Notable Picks

4. New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia

Pop quiz for all Knicks fans booing their selection: State one fact about Kristaps Porzingis.

Despite most of them likely knowing nothing about the Latvian power forward, they still loudly showered the biggest moment of the 19-year-old's life with a chorus of jeers. SLAM Magazine captured the scene:

Undeterred by the negative reaction, Porzingis expressed his eagerness to get started, per SNY.tv's Adam Zagoria:

In weeks leading up to the draft, Porzingis' stock rose higher than his 7'2" stature. Although a lanky long-term project, he honed his craft in the Spanish ACB league, highly regarded as the toughest international organization.

His sweet shooting and mobility drew rave reviews, giving some NBA executives flashbacks of Dirk Nowitzki, according to NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper. Of course, Knicks fans can't help but think of Andrea Bargnani when presented an outside-orientated offensive big.

There are fewer, if any, more impatient places on the planet than New York, and Porzingis certainly can't carry the 17-win Knicks back to relevancy on his narrow shoulders. Then again, neither could Emmanuel Mudiay or anyone else on the board. The "Zinger" at least gives them the most long-term potential.

10. Miami Heat: Justise Winslow, SF, Duke

To their pleasant surprise, the Miami Heat entered the clock with Justise Winslow still on the board. No team faced an easier decision all night.

The Duke forward made a huge name for himself during the NCAA tournament, leading the Blue Devils to the championship, with 14.3 points and 9.5 rebounds per tournament game. With Luol Deng possibly entering free agency, he's an ideal fit for a Miami club needing a bolstered perimeter presence. CBS Sports' Sam Vecenie agrees:

Just don't expect him to replace that other guy who used to play small forward in South Beach. Per Sports Illustrated's Jake Fischer, Winslow doesn't want to receive any star billing just yet:

A strong tenacious defender who flashed some scoring promise, few prospects are better equipped to offer an immediate impact. Winslow is a flexible two-way talent who was widely projected to go as high as No. 4 or 5 and no lower than No. 7 or 8.

Yet he somehow slipped to No. 10, where Miami otherwise would have labored over one of the draft's shakiest spots. If Chris Bosh returns with no further health complications and team president Pat Riley retains Dwyane Wade and Gorgan Dragic, the Heat have something good cooking next season.

16. Boston Celtics: Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville

In one of the night's most perplexing choices, the Boston Celtics reached for Terry Rozier, widely viewed as a fringe first-rounder.

The guard netted a 40.8 field-goal percentages through two seasons with Louisville, generating most of his own offense by attacking the rim. He'll need to polish his inside and outside scoring, as highlighted by Grantland's shooting chart:

Rozier will provide physical defense, but Boston already rosters a ferocious guard with defensive chops and shooting limitations. As noted by ESPN Insider Jeff Goodman, Rozier is awfully similar to last year's first selection:

If the Celtics wanted another guard to join Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley, Jerian Grant and Tyus Jones were both available. Otherwise, they could have fortified the perimeter with Sam Dekker.

Boston likely could have moved down a few spots and still snagged him, and he might have even lasted until its No. 28 selection. With so many draft selections at their disposal this year and next, the Celtics felt comfortable reaching for their guy. They saved some face by snagging shooting guard R.J. Hunter with their second opening-round choice.