NBA Draft 2015: Full Results and Grades for All Prospects Selected

The 2015 NBA draft figures to be one marked by its depth. While many draft classes are either top-heavy or just generally watered down, this class of players should have an impact on the Association in both the short term and the long term.

That gave each pick Thursday night a sense of importance, as each prospect carries some amount of risk.

That risk will certainly be outweighed by reward in the long term, though. While some teams may have taken unnecessary risks, some franchises did well for themselves by matching their needs to the perfect prospects.

Here's a breakdown of each pick from the draft and a look at the players who should fit their franchises like Frank Kaminsky's draft-night jacket.

Pick	Team	Player	Analysis	Grade
	Second Round
1	Minnesota Timberwolves	C Karl-Anthony Towns (Kentucky)	A perfect athletic freak to play alongside Andrew Wiggins for years to come.	A
2	Los Angeles Lakers	PG D'Angelo Russell (Ohio State)	Russell-over-Okafor logic all depends on landing a big in free agency.	A-
3	Philadelphia 76ers	C Jahlil Okafor (Duke)	Sixers finally add a rookie with instant-impact ability.	A
4	New York Knicks	PF Kristaps Porzingis (Latvia)	Unfair to criticize team taking highest-ceiling prospect at No. 4.	A-
5	Orlando Magic	SG Mario Hezonja (Croatia)	Offensive alpha male this team needs. It already has a European presence on the roster.	A
6	Sacramento Kings	C Willie Cauley-Stein (Kentucky)	Given injury concerns and lack of an offensive game, this was a bit of a risk at No. 6.	B-
7	Denver Nuggets	PG Emmanuel Mudiay (Congo)	Big point guard allows Denver to shop Ty Lawson.	A-
8	Detroit Pistons	SF Stanley Johnson (Arizona)	PIstons were obviously enamored, but Johnson over Winslow could be something that looks bad in hindsight.	B+
9	Charlotte Hornets	C Frank Kaminsky (Wisconsin)	Charlotte needed frontcourt help and shooting. It managed to get both in one pick here.	B+
10	Miami Heat	SF Justise Winslow (Duke)	Perfect match of franchise need and best player available.	A+
11	Indiana Pacers	PF Myles Turner (Texas)	Big man with the soft touch is intriguing, but a project.	B
12	Utah Jazz	PF Trey Lyles (Kentucky)	Biggest question on Lyles is what role he can play. Not something you want to ask about a lottery pick.	C+
13	Phoenix Suns	SF Devin Booker (Kentucky)	The Suns grab a shooter who can instantly help the offense and develop into a reliable scorer.	A-
14	Oklahoma City Thunder	PG Cameron Payne (Murray State)	Payne should be able to provide a spark and spell Russell Westbrook. That's huge.	A-
15	Atlanta Hawks (traded to WSH)	SG Kelly Oubre (Kansas)	Great potential, low floor. Not bad for 15, but not saving franchise.	B
16	Boston Celtics	PG Terry Rozier (Louisville)	Not a great finisher or shooter. First player to be taken way ahead of projection.	C
17	Milwaukee Bucks	SG Rashad Vaughn (UNLV)	Strong shooter to go with largely defensive roster.	B+
18	Houston Rockets	SF Sam Dekker (Wisconsin)	Dekker is the rare player whose excellent tournament didn't really boost draft stock. Rockets will profit.	A-
19	Washington Wizards (traded to NYK)	PG Jerian Grant (Notre Dame)	Followed up Porzingis project pick with a high-floor slasher in Grant.	A
20	Toronto Raptors	PG Delon Wright (Utah)	Big point guards always make for intriguing picks.	B
21	Dallas Mavericks	SG Justin Anderson (Virginia)	Solid prospect with the ability to be a three-and-D contributor early on.	A-
22	Chicago Bulls	PF Bobby Portis (Arkansas)	Will have the time he needs to develop in crowded Bulls frontcourt	B+
23	Portland Trail Blazers (traded to BKN)	SF Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Arizona)	Immediate contributor on defensive side of the floor is a big win this late in the first round.	A-
24	Cleveland Cavaliers (traded to MIN)	PG Tyus Jones (Duke)	Great job of taking advantage of Cavs desire to go cheap.	B+
25	Memphis Grizzlies	PF Jarell Martin (LSU)	Martin should fit the grit-and-grind M.O. of Memphis quite nicely.	B
26	San Antonio Spurs	C Nikola Milutinov (Serbia)	Given track record, have to trust when Spurs go international.	B+
27	Los Angeles Lakers	PF Larry Nance Jr. (Wyoming)	Intriguing offensive big for a team that has very few frontcourt options.	B+
28	Boston Celtics	SG R.J. Hunter (Georgia State)	A finesse shooter diversifies a young backcourt that has plenty of defenders already.	A-
29	Brooklyn Nets	PF Chris McCullough (Syracuse)	Potenial 2016 lottery pick could be massive value if he lives up to potential.	B+
30	Golden State Warriors	SF Kevon Looney (UCLA)	You can afford to take a gamble on someone with injury concerns when you've won the NBA title.	B+
31	Minnesota Timberwolves (traded to CLE)	SF Cedi Osman (Turkey)	Cavs goal on draft night was clearly to manage their cap. Mission accomplished.	B
32	Houston Rockets	PF Montrezl Harrell (Louisville)	Could have been a late-first rounder. Will provide energy off the bench.	B+
33	Boston Celtics	PF Jordan Mickey (LSU)	Stuck between PF skills and SF size. Decent pick based on development potential.	B
34	Los Angeles Lakers	SF Anthony Brown (Stanford)	Excellent shooter who can fill a niche role is a good value in second round.	A-
35	Philadelphia 76ers	PF Guillermo Hernangomez (Spain)	Sixers continue to stockpile bigs.	B
36	Minnesota Timberwolves (traded to CLE)	PF Rakeem Christmas (Syracuse)	Christmas to Cavs seemed possible ahead of draft and came to fruition. Will be end-of-bench guy for forseeable future.	B
37	Philadelphia 76ers	PF Richaun Holmes (Bowling Green)	The Sixers drafting bigs is just becoming a running meme at this point.	C+
38	Detroit Pistons	SG Darrun Hilliard (Villanova)	Possibly a bench scorer down the road with his shooting ability.	B-
39	Charlotte Hornets (traded to BKN)	SG Juan Vaulet (Argentina)	Only 19 years old, so he has plenty of time to develop in Argentina before coming over.	B
40	Miami Heat	SG Josh Richardson (Tennessee)	Potential to contribute early as a defender. That's a plus at this stage of the draft.	A-
41	Brooklyn Nets (traded to POR)	SG Pat Connaughton (Notre Dame)	Proven competitor who should make for a great hustle guy off the bench.	B+
42	Utah Jazz	SG Olivier Hanlan (Boston College)	Could have been justified as a first-rounder. Jazz get an incredible value.	A
43	Indiana Pacers	SG Joseph Young (Oregon)	Great scorer in college. Should at least be a spark plug off the bench	A-
44	Phoenix Suns	PG Andrew Harrison (Kentucky)	Stock might have been overblown based on name brand.	B
45	Boston Celtics	SG Marcus Thornton (William and Mary)	Celtics beginning to collect guards like Sixers collect big men.	C-
46	Milwaukee Bucks (traded to TOR)	SG Norman Powell (UCLA)	Small buzz that he's a sleeper. Potential is the name of the game at this point.	B
47	Philadelphia 76ers	C Arturas Gudaitis (Lithuania)	At this point, the odds that someone like Gudaitis ever wears a Sixers uniform don't seem likely.	D
48	Oklahoma City Thunder	C Dakari Johnson (Kentucky)	Worth the risk based on size alone at this point. Didn't get chance to shine at Kentucky	B
49	Washington Wizards	PF Aaron White (Iowa)	Crafty forward might be a liability defensively but could develop into a bench scorer.	B-
50	Atlanta Hawks	SG Marcus Eriksson (Sweden)	6'7" shooting guard certainly has an NBA frame. What happens next is difficult to project.	B-
51	Orlando Magic	SG Tyler Harvey (Eastern Washington)	Harvey can shoot. That's about it.	C+
52	Dallas Mavericks	C Satnam Singh (India)	Singh is a giant. At 7'2", 290 pounds, he's definitely worth a flier.	B
53	Cleveland Cavaliers	SF Sir'Dominic Pointer (St. John's)	One of the best names in the draft gives the Cavs a roster spot that doesn't cost a whole lot of money.	B
54	Utah Jazz (traded to POR)	SF Daniel Diez (Spain)	Portland gets a draft-and-stash guy to potentially replace Batum one day.	B
55	San Antonio Spurs	C Cady Lalanne (Massachusetts)	Spurs gonna Spur. Cheap rim protection and rebounding off the bench here.	B
56	New Orleans Pelicans (traded to LAC)	SF Branden Dawson (Michigan State)	Four-year player doesn't have high ceiling. Athletic enough to run the floor and rebound though.	C+
57	Denver Nuggets	PG Nikola Radicevic (Serbia)	It's all about the potential here and Radicevic could factor into the PG rotation down the road.	B
58	Philadelphia 76ers	SF J.P. Tokoto (North Carolina)	At this point any pick that isn't a PF/C for the Sixers is a win.	B+
59	Atlanta Hawks	PG Dimitrios Agravanis (Greece)	Draft-and-stash makes sense at this point.	B
60	Philadelphia 76ers	PF Luka Mitrovic (Serbia)	Seriously? Again?	D

Karl-Anthony Towns Goes No. 1 and Finds Perfect Home

Kathy Willens/Associated Press

Not only were the Minnesota Timberwolves lucky to get Karl-Anthony Towns, but Towns was also lucky to go to the Timberwolves. In terms of players who will have chances to shine right away, few are in as good a position to flourish as Towns is.

Chad Ford of ESPN.com shared his thoughts on the pick from a fit perspective in his "Grade A" mock draft:

"

Not only do I personally believe that Towns is the best player in this draft, I also believe he's a terrific fit for Minnesota. He's better than any of the 4s the Timberwolves currently have on the roster, can play the 5 when needed and he gives them a big who can stretch the floor or score with his back to the basket. He's a perfect fit next to their young core of Andrew Wiggins, Ricky Rubio, Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng, and you are talking about the best young core in the NBA.

"

Ford's analysis is spot-on here. Some teams that have been in the lottery for multiple years will now have to choose between their latest picks and picks in recent drafts (looking at you, Philadelphia). But the Timberwolves have done a nice job of finding complementary pieces.

Of all the young assets the Timberwolves have accrued, the only other post presence is Gorgui Dieng. Given Towns' ability to play as either a 4 or a 5, Minnesota should be able to put both players on the floor at the same time.

Looking at the core the Timberwolves have assembled, the players all have one thing in common—they're able to play in transition. Towns isn't a lane-clogger who's going to force the T-Wolves to play half-court basketball. He's a difference-maker on both sides.

Just how much of a difference-maker is yet to be seen. The one knock on Towns is that he averaged only 10.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in college. However, when you prorate those numbers over 40 minutes—19.5 points and 12.7 rebounds, per Sports-Reference.com—they reveal how much of an impact he had at Kentucky.

ESPN Stats & Info noted his similarities to a big man who experienced some success in the NBA:

With Kevin Garnett on the Timberwolves to help Towns learn the ropes of being a professional, the torch can officially be passed. The big man should thrive in Minnesota.

Orlando Magic Get Offensive Threat in Hezonja

The Orlando Magic have done a nice job of assembling a young core over the last few seasons. They entered the draft with just about every major role filled. Nikola Vucevic is the dominant scorer in the post; Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton are both relentless defenders at the guard positions.

What they were missing is a dynamic wing scorer whom the team can count on to carry things offensively.

That's no longer the case with the selection of Mario Hezonja at No. 5 overall. Synergy Sports Tech summarized his abilities as an offensive weapon:

ESPN's Fran Fraschilla also raved about Hezonja's high-flying ability and sharpshooting skills:

But perhaps the best part of the wing's game is his confidence. As evidenced in the video that Fraschilla tweeted, Hezonja isn't afraid to pull up from deep. The European is never short on swagger, per Croatian paper Sportske Novosti (via Sportando):

"

Respect? No, I never had respect to anybody on a basketball court. I heard about: "If they smell blood, you get eaten". I’m not like that. I don’t care. Whether it’s a veteran or a young player standing in front of me I always have the same goal. I want to run over everybody.

"

Will he run over everyone in his first year in the league? Of course not. 

Just like most of the rookies in this class, there will be a learning curve for Hezonja. In addition to the lifestyle adjustment that comes with playing in the NBA, he'll see a new level of physicality that will make it harder for him to get to his spots and score his points.

However, the young core of Payton, Oladipo and Vucevic is only going to get better. Hezonja's blend of athleticism, scoring and confidence might be just what that core needs to take the next step in its progression.

Justise Winslow and Miami Heat Become Big Winners of Draft

An interesting storyline in the early portion of this draft centered around where Justise Winslow was going to wind up. Some felt he could go as high as No. 4 to the New York Knicks, yet he continued to slide through the top 10 until team president Pat Riley and the Miami Heat were waiting with open arms. 

Other teams' decisions to pass might have made the Heat winners, but they made Winslow a winner, too. 

While most teams will expect the players they drafted in the lottery to play bigger roles than those players are ready for, Winslow is a bonus for the Heat. As Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders notes, the Heat have the potential to bring back a talent-laden roster:

What that means for Winslow is that Miami will give him the opportunity to step onto a winning team right away. In the weak Eastern Conference, the Heat could be playoff contenders. From there, the question becomes whether Winslow can help them in the playoffs.

As Synergy Sports Tech illustrated, Winslow did his best work as a college player in the postseason: 

There's no doubt that Winslow was one of the safest players in the draft. However, when talking about drafting in the lottery, "safe" isn't the most appealing adjective. Many teams passed on Winslow for players who are less proven than he is.

Safe was fine for the Heat, though. It's one of the reasons you rarely see them in the lottery, while several other teams are frequent lottery shoppers.

Winslow will be one of few rookies who steps in and plays a meaningful role on a playoff team.