NBA Draft 2015: Complete Results, Grades and Rookies to Watch
The NBA's newest rookies won't step on the floor in an effort to validate their draft positions for a few weeks, but it's never too early to evaluate how franchises fared during a pressure-packed selection process.
Taking a combination of team needs and projected upside into account while pondering the possibility of immediate contributions, we've decided to break out a conventional A-F grading scale for all 30 of the Association's franchises.
So before breaking down a trio of first-year talents to watch, here's a comprehensive rundown of every team's draft-day performance, complete with each pick and traded player.
| Atlanta Hawks | Tim Hardaway Jr (via trade), Marcus Erikkson, Dimitrios Agravanis | C- |
| Boston Celtics | Terry Rozier, R.J. Hunter, Jordan Mickey, Marcus Thornton | B |
| Brooklyn Nets | Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Chris McCullough, Juan Vaulet | B+ |
| Charlotte Hornets | Frank Kaminsky | C+ |
| Chicago Bulls | Bobby Portis | B+ |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | Cedi Osman, Rakeem Christmas, Sir'Dominic Pointer | C |
| Dallas Mavericks | Justin Anderson, Satnam Singh | B- |
| Denver Nuggets | Emmanuel Mudiay, Nikola Radicevic | B+ |
| Detroit Pistons | Stanley Johnson, Darrun Hilliard | B+ |
| Golden State Warriors | Kevon Looney | B+ |
| Houston Rockets | Sam Dekker, Montrezl Harrell | A- |
| Indiana Pacers | Myles Turner, Joseph Young | B |
| Los Angeles Clippers | Branden Dawson | C |
| Los Angeles Lakers | D'Angelo Russell, Larry Nance Jr., Anthony Brown | A+ |
| Memphis Grizzlies | Jarell Martin, Andrew Harrison | B- |
| Miami Heat | Justise Winslow, Josh Richardson | A+ |
| Milwaukee Bucks | Rashad Vaughn, Greivis Vasquez (via trade), | B+ |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | Karl-Anthony Towns, Tyus Jones | A+ |
| New Orleans Pelicans | No Picks | N/A |
| New York Knicks | Kristaps Porzingis, Jerian Grant, Guillermo Hernangomez | A |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | Cameron Payne, Dakari Johnson | B+ |
| Orlando Magic | Mario Hezonja, Tyler Harvey | A- |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Jahlil Okafor, Richaun Holmes, Arturuas Gudaitis, J.P. Tokoto, Luka Mitrovic | B+ |
| Phoenix Suns | Devin Booker, Jon Leuer (via trade) | B+ |
| Portland Trail Blazers | Pat Connaughton, Mason Plumlee (via trade), Daniel Diez | B |
| Sacramento Kings | Willie Cauley-Stein | B+ |
| San Antonio Spurs | Nikola Milutinov, Cady Lalanne | C |
| Toronto Raptors | Delon Wright, Norman Powell | B |
| Utah Jazz | Trey Lyles, Olivier Hanlan | B- |
| Washington Wizards | Kelly Oubre, Aaron White | B |
Rookies to Watch
Jahlil Okafor, C, Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers' selection of Jahlil Okafor was met with a mixed reaction from the NBA universe. But it shouldn't have come as a shock that general manager Sam Hinkie stuck to his guns and opted to select the best talent available.
"I think what's been clear over time, not just in today's NBA, but really over history, is having the best players wherever you can find them," Hinkie said, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer's Jesse Dougherty. "Whether that's at the shooting guard, whether that's at the center, whether that's at the point guard, having the best players is what's the most critical thing."
So with no regard for filling gaping holes in the backcourt, Hinkie has tasked Okafor with reviving Philadelphia's moribund offense.
A season ago, the Sixers scored a meager 93 points per 100 possessions, which was the worst mark in the league by more than four points, according to NBA.com. In Okafor, the Sixers have a player who can single-handedly lift them out of the efficiency cellar.
"Okafor has the potential to emerge as one of the game's toughest post covers," Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote. "At 6'11", 270 pounds, he has the physical tools and skill level to consistently create high-percentage shots against a set half-court defense."
A monumental task awaits Okafor, but he has the refined prowess necessary to quickly validate Hinkie's bold choice.
Stanley Johnson, SF Detroit Pistons
Under head coach Stan Van Gundy, the Detroit Pistons began to creep toward respectability on offense. They ranked a solid 15th in offensive rating, according to Basketball-Reference.com, a mark which was facilitated by some solid point guard play and close-range effectiveness courtesy of Andre Drummond.
However, the team's defense continued to lag behind, particularly on the perimeter.
That's why Stanley Johnson was such a logical choice for Detroit at No. 8 overall. An athletic specimen at 6'6'' and 242 pounds, Johnson has elite size for a wing defender in today's NBA, and he should be able to help stabilize a unit that allowed opponents to shoot 35.5 percent from three (No. 21 overall) last season.
"We loved his versatility and we really liked his mentality," Van Gundy said, according to the Detroit News' Rod Beard. "The more we talked to people, we became very confident that this is a guy who is driven to be great, not just talking about it but will put in the work to do it."
Johnson's offensive game is still being molded to a degree, but if he uses his pristine build to body-up lighter forwards while continuing to hone his three-point stroke (37.1 percent at Arizona last year), he'll be a future franchise cornerstone for the Pistons.
Justise Winslow, SF, Miami Heat
The biggest steal of Thursday's first round was nabbed by the Miami Heat at No. 10 overall.
Duke swingman Justise Winslow was never supposed to be available that late in the lottery, and yet, the rich continued to get richer, according to Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick:
"It is a reasonable notion that adding Winslow, widely deemed among the thefts of the draft, to a roster with plenty of proven, now-healthy returning talent will give the Heat a chance to shoot past an unstable set of rivals in the Eastern Conference—reshaping that conference again just one season after they were reeling from the stunning departure of LeBron James.
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While Winslow should make an immediate impact as a spot-up shooter on the wing, he'll also provide Miami with a nice off-ball scoring option to supplement primary options like Chris Bosh.
At Duke, Winslow slashed effectively into the lane and finished around the rim over smaller defenders consistently, and his pro-ready build (6'7'', 222 lbs) should allow him to do the same upon arrival.
