2015 NBA Draft Results: Team Grades and Analysis of Top Prospects
There were twists, there were turns, there were New York sports fans booing their team’s draft pick and there was Karl-Anthony Towns going No. 1 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
To make a long story short, it was a pretty typical NBA draft.
With each team heading into Thursday night hoping to find the right fit to help build a roster that can compete, there was no shortage of drama—even if there was a lack of trades—especially after the rather predictable top three picks.
As this is a sport, and sports tend to be competitive at their core, it's only natural to look at which teams ended up coming out on top with their draft selections.
Although we won’t really know who won the draft for another few months—more likely than not years—let’s hand out some early grades to each of the teams and look at a few of the top prospects and where they landed.
| Team | Grade |
| Atlanta Hawks | B- |
| Boston Celtics | C+ |
| Brooklyn Nets | B |
| Charlotte Hornets | B- |
| Chicago Bulls | A |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | B- |
| Dallas Mavericks | A- |
| Denver Nuggets | B+ |
| Detroit Pistons | B+ |
| Golden State Warriors | A |
| Houston Rockets | C+ |
| Indiana Pacers | B+ |
| Los Angeles Clippers | N/A |
| Los Angeles Lakers | A |
| Memphis Grizzlies | B- |
| Miami Heat | A |
| Milwaukee Bucks | B+ |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | A- |
| New Orleans Pelicans | B |
| New York Knicks | B+ |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | A |
| Orlando Magic | A- |
| Philadelphia 76ers | B |
| Phoenix Suns | B+ |
| Portland Trail Blazers | C+ |
| Sacramento Kings | A- |
| San Antonio Spurs | B+ |
| Toronto Raptors | C |
| Utah Jazz | C+ |
| Washington Wizards | A- |
Kristaps Porzingis, PF, New York Knicks
Speculate all you want about what Knicks fans would have done had the team drafted someone else with the No. 4 overall pick. Odds are the reaction wouldn’t have been a positive one.
Once the Philadelphia 76ers took Jahlil Okafor with the third pick, there wasn’t going to be much excitement in the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, among the Knicks faithful. But for all the negative reactions, there is a lot to be said about taking Kristaps Porzingis.
Perhaps the biggest marvel available in terms of size (7'2", 230 lbs) and how it translates to his skill set, Porzingis is raw—as many European players are—but his ceiling is incredibly high.
With one of the best shooting touches of any player in the draft regardless of size, a surprising speed burst that gives him an unexpected amount of versatility on defense and great finishing ability, Porzingis has the potential to become a star in the league.
Although his weight is slight cause for concern—especially if he is forced to battle down low—at only 19 years old, the Latvian power forward has plenty of time to grow into his body and possibly put some meat on his bones.
The Knicks fans in attendance might not have been pleased in the moment, but don’t be surprised if Porzingis turns into one of the best players in this class.
Grade: B+
Justise Winslow, SF, Miami Heat
One of the players some Knicks fans were most upset about passing up in favor of Porzingis was former Duke forward Justise Winslow.
As part of the national title-winning team last season, Winslow was often overshadowed by Okafor, but he did enough to shine and turn himself into a highly sought-after product. For whatever reason, though, he continued to fall down the draft board, allowing the Miami Heat to happily scoop him up at No. 10:
Incredibly athletic and arguably the third-best defender in the draft behind Willie Cauley-Stein and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Winslow has a ton to offer the Heat, who will be looking to find their way back into the playoffs after a disappointing 2014-15.
Although Luol Deng is the starter right now, Winslow has the ability to come into the team and immediately contribute on both sides of the ball, either coming off the bench or as a possible starter.
His offensive game needs to be polished a little bit—he often struggles to create his own shot, although his shooting ability is underrated—but with time to work under veterans like Deng and Dwyane Wade (provided they stay put), Winslow’s weakness could quickly disappear.
Even if Wade or Deng do leave in free agency this summer, the Heat should be one of the most entertaining teams in the league with a starting lineup that could include Goran Dragic, Chris Bosh, Hassan Whiteside and now Winslow.
He has some work to do, but the Duke forward looks like the steal of the draft.
Grade: A
Cameron Payne, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder
What do you give the team that has everything and is only in the lottery because of an inexplicable rash of injuries to its superstars? One of the more talented players in the draft, of course.
Already sporting one of the league's most talented rosters from top to bottom, the Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t need a lot of help with the last pick in the lottery, but that didn't stop them from adding one of the best players in the draft in point guard Cameron Payne.
Payne has the talent of a top-10 pick but was hampered by a lack of athleticism and the poor competition he faced during his two years at Murray State:
He needs to work on his shooting a bit, but the ability to create his own shot and pass the ball makes Payne the perfect choice to back up Russell Westbrook.
He is just different enough from the superstar that defenses will struggle to adapt when the second team is on the floor, and coming off the bench will allow him to adapt to the jump in competition from Murray State to the NBA.
Averaging 20.2 points and six assists last season, Payne is a do-it-all guard on offense and—while maybe a bit predictable—a perfect fit for the Thunder at No. 14.
Grade: A
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