NBA Draft 2015 Grades: Results, Top Classes and Most Intriguing Storylines

There were surprises, head-scratching picks, trades (albeit not as many as expected) and plenty of drama at this year's NBA draft. There were teams that were major winners and major losers, though who knows if those labels will stick once these players start actually playing. There were teams who filled needs and others who just added to the wealth they had already accumulated at certain positions.

It was a fun, eventful, memorable draft in the end. Let's take a look back at the results, draft grades and top storylines from last week's event.

Results

Grades

Team	Grade	Analysis
Minnesota Timberwolves	A+	Karl-Anthony Towns has a huge upside, and he's the athletic, dynamic rim protector this team needed. Packaging the Nos. 31 and 36 picks in a trade with Cleveland to land Tyus Jones gives the T-Wolves great Ricky Rubio insurance and another playmaker in the backcourt.
Los Angeles Lakers	A	D'Angelo Russell gives the team a potential star in the backcourt to learn from and eventually replace Kobe Bryant. His selection also suggests the Lakers feel they can nab a franchise big through free agency. Larry Nance Jr. will offer versatility at forward.
Philadelphia 76ers	B+	Even with Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid on the roster, Jahlil Okafor was the right pick and gives the team the offensive centerpiece it needs. The Sixers couldn't pass on him, but it's a bit surprising they didn't try to move back into the first round given all of the second-round and future picks they hold. That was a disappointment, especially in a draft with a lot of talent throughout the first round.
New York Knicks	B	The Knicks seemed to be of two minds in this draft. On one hand, Kristaps Porzingis might be the best player from this draft in five years, but he isn't going to help the team return to the playoffs next year. On the other hand, swinging a trade to land Jerian Grant gives the team a player who should make an impact right away. In both cases, the Knicks landed solid picks. But the vision seemed a bit contradictory here.
Orlando Magic	B+	Mario Hezonja is a high-risk, high-reward pick. He has the athleticism, scoring ability and swagger the team needed. He was worth the gamble.
Sacramento Kings	A-	Willie Cauley-Stein really was the perfect pick here. He's either the rim protector who perfectly pairs with DeMarcus Cousins, or he gives the team a Cousins replacement if the Kings choose to trade him. Either way, this pick made a ton of sense.
Denver Nuggets	B+	When a top talent like Emmanuel Mudiay falls to you, well, you nab him. He's a bit raw and a risk, and his jump shot—or lack thereof—is a concern. But he also brings elite athleticism to the table.
Detroit Pistons	B-	Stanley Johnson fills a need, but Justise Winslow would have filled that same need and has more upside than Johnson. It was a bit curious that the Pistons went with Johnson over Winslow. Darrun Hilliard II was a reach at No. 38.
Charlotte Hornets	C	The Hornets really love drafting big men from the Big Ten, though that strategy hasn’t exactly paid dividends to this point. Kaminsky will be an instant contributor, but it's questionable whether he's the right fit, and better players were on the board.
Miami Heat	A+	To get a player of Winslow's ability at No. 10—when he feasibly could have been a top-five selection—is the steal of the draft. Winslow can instantly contribute given his defense and ability to run the floor, and he's likely the long-term replacement for Dwyane Wade. If he improves his jump shot, he'll be a star.
Indiana Pacers	C-	Myles Turner doesn't really fit a need unless the Pacers move Roy Hibbert, and he's the sort of player who will need time to develop. That's probably not ideal on a roster with a lot of veteran talent. Curious pick from Indiana. Joseph Young was a nice get in the second round.
Utah Jazz	C	Trey Lyles is a nice player, but does he make sense in Utah? That's the issue here.
Phoenix Suns	B	All of your Kentucky guards belong to us. OK, that's not exactly how the famous Internet meme goes, but it's basically the mantra in Phoenix after the team added Devin Booker to pair with Eric Bledsoe in the backcourt. Booker is a great shooter and should make an instant impact.
Oklahoma City Thunder	B	Cameron Payne gives them some insurance behind Russell Westbrook and more backcourt depth. Dakari Johnson in the second round adds frontcourt depth. Nothing flashy from the Thunder but logical picks.
Atlanta Hawks	C-	So after a bunch of wheeling and dealing, the Hawks turned the No. 15 pick into Tim Hardaway Jr. and two future second-round picks. Ho hum. Tough to be too excited about those moves for Atlanta, though perhaps it liked that Hardaway could contribute right away.
Boston Celtics	C+	The Celtics had an interesting draft. With a lot of picks, they seemed candidates to move up but never could pull it off. Terry Rozier seemed like a reach, while R.J. Hunter and Jordan Mickey were solid values. With all of the bigs the Sixers have and all of the guards the Celtics possess, could the two teams make a deal?
Milwaukee Bucks	B	Milwaukee turned its second-rounder this year and a 2017 first-round pick into Greivis Vasquez, so that was a solid move that will help a quality young roster immediately. Rashad Vaughn gives the Bucks scoring on the perimeter, which was a need. It was a nice evening for the Bucks.
Houston Rockets	B+	The Rockets got really solid value in Sam Dekker and Montrezl Harrell, both players who can contribute immediately. No contender helped itself in the immediate future as much as Houston.
Washington Wizards	B+	Kelly Oubre Jr. is a project, but he's a project with explosive upside. It's exciting to imagine him alongside John Wall and Bradley Beal in a few years.
Toronto Raptors	B-	The Raptors added guard depth with Delon Wright, who will contribute immediately and improve the team defensively. Not a flashy pick but a smart one.
Dallas Mavericks	B	Justin Anderson is a solid shooter from range, and he plays defense. In other words, he's just what Dallas needed.
Chicago Bulls	B+	The Bulls had bigger needs, but Bobby Portis was way too good of a value to pass on. The Bulls deserve credit for simply taking the best player on the board—one who will contribute immediately.
Portland Trail Blazers	B-	Well, the Blazers have their LaMarcus Aldridge backup plan in Mason Plumlee after trading for him on Thursday night. Landing Pat Connaughton in the deal was a nice consolation, as he'll play defense and hit shots from range.
Cleveland Cavaliers	B	Cedi Osman and Rakeem Christmas were pretty good values. Of course, the only thing that really matters in Cleveland right now is Kevin Love's next move.
Memphis Grizzlies	C	Jarell Martin gives the team another big man, though it really could use more scorers. A curious pick, though if Marc Gasol departs, it will make more sense.
San Antonio Spurs	B	You don't need to know anything about Nikola Milutinov to know that giving this pick anything less than a "B" will make you look like an idiot in five years.
Brooklyn Nets	B+	Rondae Hollis-Jefferson came over in the Plumlee deal, and he's the sort of player who will do all of the little things to help a team win. If he improves offensively, look out. Chris McCullough was a solid pick at No. 29
Golden State Warriors	B+	Nabbing Kevon Looney at No. 30 was fantastic value. Could be a steal if his hip issues aren't serious.
New Orleans Pelicans	N/A	No picks.
Los Angeles Clippers	B-	You could do worse than a Michigan State guy such as Branden Dawson with your lone pick in the second round.

All trade info via ESPN.

Top Storylines

Well, we have to start with the Philadelphia Seventy-Centers—er, the 76ers—don't we?

When the Los Angeles Lakers decided to somewhat surprisingly take D'Angelo Russell No. 2 overall—in part because he has superstar potential, and in part because they could find big men on the free-agent market this summer, one would guess—that left the Sixers little option but to take the best player on the board: Jahlil Okafor.

By all accounts, it was a great pick. Okafor is the most polished offensive big man to hit the league in years and finally gives the Sixers a centerpiece for an otherwise-inept offense. Of the top players in this draft, he seems both the safest and a player with a high upside.

None of the above is an issue. The issue is that in the prior two years, the Sixers also drafted centers Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid. And not only is it pretty hard to imagine how these three will coexist together—or if a pair of them will naturally find on-court chemistry—but the Sixers literally have no talent at any other position on the court (at least not until Dario Saric comes over from Europe; he, of course, is also a big man, though at least his natural position is power forward, not center).

So you have a team with three young, talented big men who don't seem to complement one another well and no talented guards or wings to stretch the floor to give those big men the space they'll need to be effective down low. 

Oh boy.

But this is the Sixers' "plan," right? To collect assets and see where the chips fall? After all, the team will potentially have four first-round picks in next year's draft. And Saric might finally come to the States for the 2016-17 season. And at some point, one would imagine Noel or Embiid will be dangled in a trade. At some point, a plan will start to take place, right?

Right?

One team that would likely love to take one of Philly's big men off its hands is the Boston Celtics, a team that seems desperate to move up in this year's draft with plenty of picks at its disposal but simply couldn't get a deal done.

So, what did a team with Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas, Avery Bradley and James Young already on the roster do in the draft? It selected Terry Rozier, a Smart clone. It drafted R.J. Hunter, a shooting guard (though at least he gives the team an excellent perimeter shooter). It selected Marcus Thornton in the second round, who is, you guessed it, another guard. 

The Sixers seem unlikely to trade any of their big men now, however. They aren't going to move Okafor, period, it would seem, and they'd probably prefer to see how Okafor and Noel pair together before moving Noel. Plus, Noel seems like the one player in the bunch who could slide down to the 4.

As for Embiid, well, the Sixers would be selling dramatically low on him at this point given his injury issues.

Nonetheless, don't be surprised if Boston at least contacts Philly—and a slew of other teams—and dangles some of its young guards in exchange for a big man. Smart would likely earn the biggest haul in return and, given the selection of Rozier, appears to be expendable in Boston. 

And then there were the surprises in the draft. The New York Knicks' selecting a project in Kristaps Porzingis—albeit one with an enormous upside—caught everyone off guard. After all, the team has a superstar in Carmelo Anthony already in place and cap room to throw at top free agents. This offseason, many felt, would be about rebuilding immediately—not about starting a long-term project.

Why, then, draft a player who many people feel won't have an impact for a few years in the league? Why not add a player who could contribute right away, such as Justise Winslow, Willie Cauley-Stein or even Emmanuel Mudiay?

The Knicks did add a player who will have an immediate impact in Jerian Grant later in the first round. But the Porzingis pick was a bit of a puzzler, even if his upside is so tantalizing.

So was the fact that the aforementioned Winslow dropped all the way to the Miami Heat at No. 10. The Knicks chose to pass on him for a long-term project. The Detroit Pistons chose to pass on him for a solid wing in Stanley Johnson, albeit one many people had ranked below Winslow. The Charlotte Hornets passed on him for another Big Ten big man in Frank Kaminsky.

Now, the Miami Heat could have a roster next season that includes Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, Goran Dragic, Luol Deng, Hassan Whiteside and Winslow, depending on how free agency shakes out. That's a pretty good-looking core, especially in the weak Eastern Conference, and Winslow will have the opportunity to come off the bench and glean from Wade. 

In the end, dropping to No. 10 was probably the best-case scenario for Winslow and a major win for the Heat. How he managed to drop that far looks like it will be a puzzling question for many years to come, especially if he becomes the star many people believe he is capable of becoming.