NBA Draft 2015: Franchise-by-Franchise Results and Grades Table
Have you had enough time to process all that went down in the 2015 NBA draft on Thursday? If not, maybe some grades and analysis will help it all settle in. The quick rundown is that no NBA superstars were traded, the top 10 was full of surprises after the Minnesota Timberwolves went with Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns, and New York Knicks fans orchestrated their yearly chorus of boos following another surprising pick.
All in all, it was a fun night!
Fans should not overreact to any draft choices just yet, whether good or bad. Let the kids develop for a few years before forming your conclusions.
That being said, we need instant gratification. So who won and lost? Here are the full draft results, as well as grades for each franchise.
| Team | Grade | Note |
| Atlanta Hawks | D | Two low-key second rounders are long shots, and Tim Hardaway Jr. was not worth giving up a top-20 pick. |
| Boston Celtics | C- | Terry Rozier at 16 made little sense after taking Marcus Smart sixth last year. |
| Brooklyn Nets | B+ | Chris McCullough has upside, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is just what they need. Trading Mason Plumlee, though? Questionable. |
| Charlotte Hornets | D | If they really turned down six picks from the Celtics to take Frank Kaminsky, then they are just completely out of touch. |
| Chicago Bulls | B | Bobby Portis was a good value pick but not the biggest need. |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | C+ | Picks are a long way away, so it is difficult to conclude anything at all. |
| Dallas Mavericks | B- | I like the Justin Anderson pick but am not sure about the rest. Big swing on Satnam Singh Bhamara. |
| Denver Nuggets | A- | Outstanding value pick in Emmanuel Mudiay at No. 7. |
| Detroit Pistons | B+ | Stanley Johnson is a great fit, and Darrun Hillard adds much-needed depth. |
| Golden State Warriors | A | The rich get richer. Who thought Kevon Looney would fall to 30? |
| Houston Rockets | B+ | Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell were outstanding value picks. They will be fun additions to this club. |
| Indiana Pacers | A- | Myles Turner has huge upside and allows them to move on from Roy Hibbert. Joe Young is a very good second-round pick. |
| Los Angeles Clippers | B | Branden Dawson was their only pick, and it is a very intriguing one late in the second round. |
| Los Angeles Lakers | B+ | D'Angelo Russell was the right choice. Plain and simple. I question the Larry Nance Jr. selection. |
| Memphis Grizzlies | C- | Jarell Martin didn't make a lot of sense. RJ Hunter fell right in their laps, and they whiffed. |
| Miami Heat | A | You can't argue with the Justise Winslow selection at No. 10. There's no way they thought he would fall that far. Pat Riley does it again. |
| Milwaukee Bucks | A- | They needed shooting. They took Rashad Vaughn and then traded for Greivis Vasquez. Very nice draft for the Bucks. |
| Minnesota TImberwolves | A+ | Adding Karl-Anthony Towns and Tyus Jones to this young core makes the Wolves a legitimate force for the future. |
| New Orleans Pelicans | C | They traded their only pick for money. So, they get a "C" for "cash." |
| New York Knicks | A- | I actually loved the Porzingis pick. Give him some time before you are calling for his head, Knicks fans. |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | B+ | Dakari Johnson and Cameron Payne will not be supplanting Serge Ibaka and Russell Westbrook anytime soon, but these were very nice picks to solidify the Thunder's young foundation. |
| Orlando Magic | B+ | Hezonja going fifth is a bit high for my liking, but Orlando needs another playmaker. We'll see where he fits in with Aaron Gordon, Tobias Harris and Victor Oladipo already in town. |
| Philadelphia 76ers | B+ | I don't understand it, but that's just how Sam Hinkie works. They couldn't pass on Jahlil Okafor, but they didn't need all those other bigs in Round 2. |
| Phoenix Suns | A- | Ending Devin Booker's slide was smart, even though they are deep on the perimeter. |
| Portland Trail Blazers | B | The Blazers landed the draft's darling in Pat Connaughton, as well as Mason Plumlee in a trade. Both are nice moves. Not great, but nice. |
| Sacramento Kings | B+ | Willie Cauley-Stein was a big swing at No. 6, but he and DeMarcus Cousins are going to be terrifying together. |
| San Antonio Spurs | C+ | I've been covering this draft for months, and I'm not even sure I've heard of the guys San Antonio drafted. I think they just like to challenge themselves and troll the entire NBA. |
| Toronto Raptors | B+ | Delon Wright and Norman Powell will fit in seamlessly with this roster. |
| Utah Jazz | D | I understand Trey Lyles was overshadowed at Kentucky, but I'm not buying him at No. 12. He didn't fit a need, and his upside is questionable. |
| Washington Wizards | B | This was an interesting landing spot for Kelly Oubre, given Bradley Beal's presence. He is a good upside pick who could round out this bench. |
Winner: New York Knicks
Many are still out searching for new television sets after kicking in the old one upon the announcement of the Kristaps Porzingis pick.
Hopefully, while New York Knicks fans are angrily marching up and down the aisles at Best Buy, they come to terms with the fact that their team killed it in the draft, for once. Team president Phil Jackson was unable to pass up what a scout told him was a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," according to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports.
The icing on the cake was dealing Tim Hardaway Jr. for Jerian Grant, a point guard who can fit the triangle. Every player on the roster is now a Jackson acquisition or signee, as The Zen Master has overhauled this club from top to bottom.
Let's get real: New York was not going to be great next season, regardless of the draft. The Knicks aren't going to stomp through free agency and wind up with multiple superstars, so the team is better off biting the bullet. That puts less pressure on Porzingis and allows him the time and freedom to develop. Maybe Emmanuel Mudiay or Justise Winslow could have helped more this coming year, but Porzingis is clearly the prospect with the highest upside.
As much flak as these moves received, both were excellent choices by the Knicks.
Loser: Boston Celtics
First off, I love the R.J. Hunter pick at No. 28. Possibly the best shooter in this draft, he should have been taken much sooner, and he gives head coach Brad Stevens a new long-range weapon at his disposal.
The real head-scratcher was Terry Rozier at No. 16. He was seen as a fringe first-round talent since he is an undersized 6'1" point guard who can't shoot. Here's a look at his shot chart, which slaps analytics right across the face:
This pick made less sense considering the Celtics took Marcus Smart sixth overall last year. Has their faith in him wavered at all?
Point guard wasn't a need for Boston, and to make matters worse, it doubled up at the position by going with Marcus Thornton in Round 2.
You're better than that, Boston.
Winner: Miami Heat
Duke freshman Justise Winslow was very much in play for the top five yet somehow landed right into the lap of Heat president Pat Riley at No. 10.
This was one of the most surprising slides of the first round. He is exactly the type of multitalented, fiery and tenacious two-way player who could benefit any team. The Heat were so certain he wouldn't be there at No. 10 that he didn't even work out for them.
Winslow's game allows him to fit in just about anywhere, but he will look particularly nice in South Beach. Luol Deng is looking to be on his way to free agency, and franchise cornerstone Dwyane Wade could follow right along with him. Unrestricted free-agent point guard Goran Dragic is also looking for boatloads of cash on the open market.
Winslow is an outstanding insurance policy should one, two or all three of those guys jump ship. This was an exceptional pick because of that. He has something he wants Miami fans to know:
It's just about impossible to question this pick.
Loser: Charlotte Hornets
Did the GOAT fall asleep at the wheel again?
How is Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player of all time, so out of touch when it comes to the NBA draft? We know he selected Kwame Brown first overall back in the day, but his run of inane decision-making since then is extraordinary.
His preference couldn't be more obvious: He loves big program guys who head into the draft with a lot of momentum from the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, most of them had already peaked prior to getting drafted.
This recent history of draft picks not living up to their billing includes Sean May, Adam Morrison, Kemba Walker, Cody Zeller, P.J Hairston and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Bismack Biyombo has not thrived either. The door is still open for last year's No. 9 pick Noah Vonleh, but Charlotte just recently dealt him to Portland for Nicolas Batum.
Why draft a stretch 4 from a Big Ten team three years in a row?
To make matters worse, Charlotte reportedly turned down an insane offer from the Boston Celtics. According to Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com (h/t Eric Freeman of Yahoo Sports), Boston had offered six picks, including up to four first-rounders, just to move up from No. 16 to No. 9 for Justise Winslow. Charlotte said no, which was bad enough.
Taking Frank Kaminsky on top of that is just brutal.
Maybe Kaminsky pans out. Charlotte needs shooting, but the logjam up front is a huge issue. It's safe to say that Charlotte dropped the ball on this one, once again.
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