NBA Draft Results 2015: Overall Franchise Grades and Hidden Gems

In the litany of 2015 NBA draft grade articles on the interwebs, most of them will focus on the splashiest and most impactful developments from Thursday night.  However, while the likes of Jahlil Okafor and Kristaps Porzingis may dominate the post-draft headlines, those selections aren't necessarily the most important takeaways.

Indeed, as the Golden State Warriors demonstrated just last week, it's possible to build a championship winner out of an abundance of value picks.  No one selection is likely to vault any team into Warriors territory, but an accumulation of these players can give an organization a massive edge if their talent-development machine succeeds.

So, which players are likely to represent the best values from the 2015 class?  Handing out grades for all 30 draft classes, let's zoom in on the most enticing picks from different levels of the draft.

Team	Grade
Boston Celtics	B-
Brooklyn Nets	B+
New York Knicks	B+
Philadelphia 76ers	A
Toronto Raptors	A
Chicago Bulls	A
Cleveland Cavaliers	C
Detroit Pistons	A
Milwaukee Bucks	C+
Indiana Pacers	A
Atlanta Hawks	B
Charlotte Hornets	C+
Miami Heat	A
Orlando Magic	B+
Golden State Warriors	A-
Los Angeles Clippers	INC
Los Angeles Lakers	A-
Phoenix Suns	A
Sacramento Kings	B-
Houston Rockets	A
Memphis Grizzlies	B
New Orleans Pelicans	C
Dallas Mavericks	A-
San Antonio Spurs	A-
Denver Nuggets	A-
Minnesota Timberwolves	A
Oklahoma City Thunder	B
Portland Trail Blazers	B-
Utah Jazz	B+

Best Lottery Value: Justise Winslow, SG/SF (Miami, Pick 10)

A player who was arguably the draft's best wing was an absolute steal for the Heat.  While Winslow didn't offer the same promise as the big men Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns, or the ceiling of guard D'Angelo Russell, his floor is extremely high in a league dominated by wings.

Winslow realistically could have gone as high as pick No. 4 to the Knicks, and seeing him slide behind Stanley Johnson and Frank Kaminsky certainly qualifies as a surprise.  In fact, the Sun-Sentinel's Dave Hyde reported that Pat Riley didn't even have Winslow in Miami's draft plans because of his higher-projected draft stock:

With Dwyane Wade's future in South Beach uncertain, Winslow provides an immediate contingency plan in the event that the Heat lifer departs in free agency.  Riley has never been patient with rebuilds, and given Winslow's pro-readiness, he could either slot in as a role player on the next Miami championship contender or serve as an enticing trade chip as Riley shops around the market.

On his own, Winslow certainly won't evoke memories of when Miami had Wade and LeBron James, as fearsome a wing duo that the league has ever seen.  Nevertheless, Winslow's gritty two-way game translates better to the pros than several of the players who went ahead of him.

Best Post-Lottery Value: Bobby Portis, PF (Chicago, Pick 22)

Even without Tom Thibodeau, the Bulls figure to retain the indefatigable blue-collar identity that has defined them the past five years.  As the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson relays, Portis' mindset should thus fit in beautifully in Chicago's culture:

"

In pre-draft interviews, Portis said he likes to play angry, even imagining his opponent slapped his mom. Oh, and he models his intensity after that of Kevin Garnett.

One Eastern Conference scout cited his high energy and ability to run the floor as fits in Hoiberg's up-tempo offense. Portis also is considered a strong offensive rebounder. The Bulls were hurt consistently by Tristan Thompson in their second-round playoff loss to the Cavaliers.

"

The Bulls once extracted terrific value from Taj Gibson with the 26th overall pick, and as Gibson's name floats around on the trade market, Portis looms as his replacement.  The reigning SEC Player of the Year isn't a spectacular athlete, but with a dominant post game, his offensive contributions inside should match his relentless work ethic on defense and the boards:

Portis frees the Bulls to trade Joakim Noah or Gibson as they find their footing in the post-Thibodeau era.  Assuming that Chicago still has aspirations of contending, Portis is a player who should remain a rotation fixture for years to come.

Best Second-Round Value: Pat Connaughton, SF (Portland, Pick 41)

The Brooklyn Nets technically selected the Notre Dame swingman, but as Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski reported, the Nets shipped Connaughton to Portland as part of a larger deal involving Mason Plumlee and first-rounder Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

Second-rounders are typically throw-ins when trades are constructed, but Connaughton represents a sneaky piece that could help swing this deal in Portland's favor.  Despite being undersized for his position at 6'5" and 210 pounds, Connaughton is one of the most athletic players in this class, a fact supported by both his game tape and combine showing:

Like many Irish alumni, Connaughton is also an excellent shooter, having shot a remarkable 42.3 percent from three-point range during his senior season at South Bend.  That gives him potential to fulfill a three-and-D niche at the NBA level, especially when realizing he averaged 7.4 rebounds per game.  

Despite an unremarkable physical profile, Connaughton is an extremely physical wing who can bump like a big and shoot like a guard.  Connaughton may have been a throw-in in the deal, but the Blazers were shrewd to extract this trade chip from the Nets.