NBA Draft 2015: Team-by-Team Chart of Results and Grades
The 2015 NBA draft didn't deliver all the chaos that its buildup projected. No superstars were traded, and the jockeying for draft picks was kept to a minimum.
It did, however, provide each franchise with an opportunity to collect some assets and strengthen the roster for the future.
Some were more successful than others, though.
With the dust settled on all 60 picks, it's a little easier to step back and evaluate what each team did. While we won't know just how these moves pan out for a few more years, here are the complete results from the night, grades for each franchise and some class superlatives.
| Atlanta Hawks | B | The Hawks essentially added a known commodity with some room to grow in Tim Hardaway via trade. |
| Boston Celtics | B- | R.J. Hunter is as easy a pick to like as Terry Rozier is as easy to dislike. Countered a reach with a value. |
| Brooklyn Nets | A- | Nets weren't in a position to dramatically improve their roster yet got two high-ceiling pieces in Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Chris McCullough. |
| Charlotte Hornets | B | Charlotte might be maligned for taking Kaminsky at No. 9. Fact is he is a high-floor pick who is a perfect offensive complement to Al Jefferson. |
| Chicago Bulls | B | Hard to knock the value of Portis at No. 22. He should make some of the established vets they have in the frontcourt expendable soon. |
| Cleveland Cavaliers | B | It was apparent that the Cavs were looking to save a little bit of money by getting out of the first round. They didn't get much better but accomplished that. |
| Dallas Mavericks | A- | Justin Anderson's game is a great fit in the modern NBA. He plays good perimeter defense and knocks down threes. Great value. |
| Denver Nuggets | A- | The addition of Emmanuel Mudiay allows the Nuggets to deal Ty Lawson. The return on investment there opens the door for more assets. |
| Detroit Pistons | B | Stanley Johnson over Justise Winslow seems a bit off for those who watched college basketball this season, but the Pistons stuck to their guns. |
| Golden State Warriors | A- | Kevon Looney could turn out to be an example of the rich getting richer if he gets healthy. Worth the risk at No. 30. |
| Houston Rockets | A | Dekker and Harrell are the type of players who will make a playoff team better. |
| Indiana Pacers | B- | Turner and Young are opposite prospects. Turner hasn't proved he can be dominant, while Young was dominant in college but has a low pro ceiling. |
| Los Angeles Clippers | C | Branden Dawson at No. 56 isn't going to sell tickets or anything, but his development is worth tracking. |
| Los Angeles Lakers | B+ | Hard to give this a grade until free agency is over. If the Lakers sign a big man, the D'Angelo Russell pick is an A. Larry Nance and Anthony Brown are the questionable decisions. |
| Memphis Grizzlies | B | Jarell Martin's blue-collar game is a nice fit with Memphis' team identity. Andrew Harrison is a project at best. |
| Miami Heat | A | Justise Winslow was the consensus steal of the draft. Josh Richardson could be a contributor down the road as well. |
| Milwaukee Bucks | B+ | Rashad Vaughn isn't likely to light the league on fire in Year 1, but he's an explosive scorer in the making. That's something the Bucks need. |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | A | Nailed the No. 1 pick and got a high-floor player in Tyus Jones. Can't do it much better. |
| New Orleans Pelicans | N/A | The Pelicans dealt their only pick (No. 56) to the Los Angeles Clippers for cash considerations. |
| New York Knicks | A | The Knicks might not have won the draft in the court of public opinion but did it's best with the hand they were dealt. |
| Oklahoma City Thunder | B+ | Cameron Payne fills a huge need for the Thunder as a guy who can spell Russell Westbrook. Dakari Johnson is a good project. |
| Orlando Magic | A- | Mario Hezonja is just what the Magic need. His offensive abilities will be a welcome addition in Orlando |
| Philadelphia 76ers | B | There's no knocking the Jahlil Okafor pick. He has superstar potential. It's the three subsequent bigs they drafted that are troubling. |
| Phoenix Suns | B | Devin Booker will certainly be a contributor for his shooting. He has the potential to develop into more. |
| Portland Trail Blazers | B+ | Pat Connaughton is an underrated athlete, and acquiring Mason Plumlee can't be discounted. |
| Sacramento Kings | B | If healthy, Willie Cauley-Stein is a rare defensive talent—especially against the pick-and-roll. Health concerns are scary at No. 6 though. |
| San Antonio Spurs | B+ | The Spurs have really entered into infallible territory when it comes to drafting. One of the two bigs they drafted will likely pan out. |
| Toronto Raptors | B | Delon Wright and Norman Powell give the Raptors athleticism in the backcourt. |
| Utah Jazz | B- | Trey Lyles won't be an impact player right away and seems like an awkward fit with so many young bigs on the roster already. |
Most Likely to Exceed Expectations: New York Knicks
From a fan-relations standpoint, the Knicks were doomed from the NBA lottery. They were awarded the fourth pick in a draft that only boasted three players that fanbases could unanimously get excited about. As ESPN's His and Hers pointed out, the fan reaction to Kristaps Porzingis at No. 4 ranged from dismayed to desolate:
But that's the exact pick the Knicks should have made. When you're a 17-65 franchise, you have to take the best available player. The European prospect was the No. 4 player on many draftniks' boards, including Chad Ford's of ESPN.
The obvious complaint from those who don't like the selection is that Porzingis is a project. With so many pressing needs for the Knicks right now, it's frustrating to see a team spend a high pick on a player who isn't going to move the needle in the here and now.
That's understandable, but as Seth Davis of CBS Sports notes, the Knicks didn't have many impact options available:
Once Jahlil Okafor was off the board, the Knicks weren't going to get a major impact player this season. Even Emmanuel Mudiay—who appears to be the other player whom the Knicks considered—has his question marks. He decided to skip college to play in China and had his pro basketball career cut short by an injury 10 games into the season.
That's the player who is safer than Porzingis?
The Knicks draft went beyond just the No. 4 pick, though. They also moved Tim Hardaway Jr. for playmaker Jerian Grant in a move that Ford immediately praised:
Grant's pro-ready game should provide at least some instant impact for Knicks fans who don't want to wait on Porzingis to grow into his game and body. The combination of the two makes for a draft that will look much better for Phil Jackson in five years than it does right now.
Most Improved Playoff Team: Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets weren't under nearly the same microscope as the Knicks, but they had a sneaky good draft.
For playoff teams like Houston, the opportunity isn't there to add a major star. The goal is to add some key role players who can help the franchise leap to the next level. General manager Daryl Morey did a great job of finding two players with distinguishable skills in Sam Dekker out of Wisconsin and Montrezl Harrell out of Louisville who fit into what he's trying to accomplish as a team-builder.
"I’m very excited. We got two top-, top-, top-level winners in college on extremely good Wisconsin and Louisville teams," Morey said, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
It's interesting to note that before he went on to talk about each player's traits (praising Dekker for his ability to attack the basket and Harrell's energy), he talked about the teams they came from.
Morey appeared to be impressed that both players came from schools that were in the thick of things in March. Louisville went to the Elite Eight, while Wisconsin was the national runner-up. Both players were exceptional for their teams down the stretch and showed a great understanding of what it takes to win.
Those attributes aren't generally considered as important as wingspans, verticals and shooting percentages, but Morey obviously sees the value in getting guys who know how to win.
His assessment of their skills checks out, too. Grantland highlighted Dekker's ability to finish at the rim and the room for improvement in perimeter shooting:
Dekker and Harrell aren't making headlines now. But when one or both of them are playing important minutes in the Western Conference playoffs, Morey will look like a smart man.
Most Likely to Regret a Pick: Sacramento Kings
Willie Cauley-Stein has the potential to be a transcendent defensive player. His ability to alter shots at the rim, switch on pick-and-rolls and defend in isolation is a skill set that not many can offer in the league.
There are, however, reasons why Cauley-Stein was not considered a consensus top-five pick. Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders and ESPN's Ford both shared information regarding a potential free fall for the big man based on injury issues and concerns with his interviewing:
Obviously, a lot of information comes out during the draft that is meant to be a smoke screen. But a lot of this makes sense.
First, there is the injury concern. Cauley-Stein suffered a stress fracture in 2014 that scouts were reportedly concerned about. Jonathan Givony of Draft Express passed along the quote:
"There is some maintenance that needs to be done there, as it's not completely clear whether the injury healed in a proper way. The pin that was inserted is supposed to be sitting at a 90 degree angle, but instead it's at 45 degrees. That, plus some question marks about his background that came up could cause him to drop a few slots.
"
When that information is taken into consideration, Ford and Kennedy's information appears to be legitimate. The only problem is, the Kings tend to dance to their own music. They must have been one of the teams that were unfazed by his injury and ready to build around him defensively.
The problem with that is the other end of the floor. For Cauley-Stein to get minutes, he must find a way to coexist with DeMarcus Cousins down low. That's going to be a problem. As Grantland's shooting chart for Cauley-Stein shows, he's not adept at knocking down jumpers at this point:
That means his small offensive impact is likely going to come from offensive rebounds and scoring in the paint. That takes away touches from and precious space for Cousins on the block.
If Cauley-Stein proves to be injury-prone or simply never learns how to jell offensively playing alongside Cousins, this pick could come back to haunt Sacramento.
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