Let’s conduct a 2015 NBA Mock Draft with the order now complete.
The NBA Draft Lottery finally occurred Tuesday and the order is set. The team with the best odds at the No. 1 pick did indeed land it, with Minnesota slated to pick first.
The Los Angeles Lakers climbed into the top three to land at the No. 2 overall pick, a fate Kobe Bryant said the team deserved:
We played like crap all season so it's only right we get the #2 pick HA #lakerluck #goodday
— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) May 20, 2015
The New York Knicks had the misfortune of falling to the No. 4 spot, while the Orlando Magic are going to be the fifth team to select, after having the fifth best odds at the top pick.
The consensus is that the top two picks will be centers Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor, probably in that order. There could be a flop of the two, but Towns is a better shot blocker and better shooter, and the Timberwolves would be wise to equip him with Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins. Nikola Pekovic will soon likely be headed elsewhere.
But without ruining the rest of the surprises, let us delve into this year’s initial mock.
Next: On the clock, the Minnesota Timberwolves
Towns is the best big man in this draft and the next in the procession of Kentucky bigs that has recently yielded first team All-Rookie selection Nerlens Noel and MVP candidate Anthony Davis. Those predecessors bode well for Towns, as does the improvements he made in his lone season at Kentucky.
Towns has the body of a NBA center, and his post game grew quickly as the season went on, though he will need further refinements.
The Lakers would like him to fall due to his similarities to Andrew Bynum, but maybe that is said somewhat ominously. He is not a premier athlete, but he can step out and shoot the ball and has very soft touch.
Next: #2 L.A. Lakers
This is really the guy that best fits L.A., even if Towns is rated by many as the draft’s top prospect. Okafor brings athleticism that will pair nicely with the Lakers attack and Kobe Bryant will undoubtedly impart his leadership and NBA wisdom to the young rookie.
Bryant is notoriously hard on players, but Okafor has the talent to actually impress the NBA legend. His post game is more developed than Towns and he could be the one who makes a quicker impact accordingly.
He is not Kwame Brown, in other words.
It is a positive for many fans that Bryant will get to work with another top rookie to add meaning to the end of his NBA career.
If Julius Randle comes back from injury strong and Jordan Clarkson continues to improve, the Lakers could make a quantum leap in the standings next year.
Next: #3 Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia is really only set at the 4 and 5 positions, with the rest of the roster pretty wide open. Tony Wroten is a nice point guard, but he would not necessarily be left out of the equation if Philadelphia added Emmanuel Mudiay.
At 6-foot-5, Mudiay brings the size necessary to play both guard spots, which is a boon since the Sixers could then seek to bring Mudiay up alongside Wroten until he was ready to handle the rigors of leading a team.
Or, Philly could throw him straight into the fire, as the team has shown little desire to win games.
Next: #4 New York Knicks
D’Angelo Russell lands in an ideal spot with Derek Fisher to tutor him.
He is a great playmaker and has the kind of handles that will leave Madison Square Garden hazing opposing players for “broken ankle” crossovers.
Russell should become a good defender at the 1-spot too given that he is 6-foot-4 and has a 6-foot-9 wingspan to harass defenders and break up passing lanes.
With second team All-Rookie pick Langston Galloway and Tim Hardaway Jr. able to do much of the same, the Knicks could start revamping its culture around tough halfcourt defense.
Next: #5 Orlando Magic
Justise Winslow seems to be the guy Magic fans prefer. He also seems to fit the “Rob Hennigan mold” as the Magic general manager has aligned himself with choosing players whose defensive acumen rates the highest.
In 2013, he took Victor Oladipo, and in 2014 both lottery picks Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton reflected this same strategy. Putting another lockdown defender on the wing seems like the right way to go.
There will be outside concerns about fielding another weak frontcourt, though, and the Magic will then have to seek to address the issue via free agency.
Things would be interesting if Philly decided to go with Winslow at the No. 3 overall pick and allowed one of the top point guards to fall to Orlando. At that point, a value pick is made to deal Mudiay or Russell to a team who is more enamored with their prospects.
Next: #6 Sacramento Kings
The Kings really do not have an answer at power forward, and currently start small forward Rudy Gay as a stretch-4 of sorts. Getting Kristaps Porzingis would slide Gay back to the 3-spot and remove Omri Casspi from the starting lineup, which is good given that he is best suited as a 7th or 8th man at best.
The Kings are not short on options in the backcourt, but still could seek to add another backcourt player since the jury is still very much out on Ben McLemore. That means Mario Hezonja is an option here, too.
Sacramento would really prefer Winslow, but it is doubtful he lasts past Orlando. Porzingis gives the Kings a proper power forward, though, and his court stretching would help DeMarcus Cousins (if George Karl keeps the team intact in any form, of course).
Next: #7 Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets really have not been pleased with Danilo Gallinari in several seasons and Wilson Chandler is past his prime. Gallinari finished the season hot but at that point the games were meaningless and it’s difficult to read much into it.
Denver is in need of help at the wing both at the 2 and 3 spots, and Johnson would solve the small forward issue definitively.
He is probably a more gifted version of Tayshaun Prince, which is really what Denver could use: a long wing defender who can begin to ameliorate its paper thin defense.
Next: #8 Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons get the exact guy they want and need with this pick.
Caron Butler and Tayshaun Prince are both bordering on ancient and Mario Hezonja injects a sparkplug of life at the 3-spot. If Detroit is able to bring back Reggie Jackson, the team will have some options in the backcourt.
A four-guard rotation of Brandon Jennings, Jackson, Hezonja and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope could be a pretty lethal lineup for Stan Van Gundy to work with in the Motor City.
Hezonja received high billing from international scouts and Stan Van Gundy would be able to help him use his athleticism to become an NBA-style defender. The Magic will have to take Hezonja into consideration too.
Next: #9 Charlotte Hornets
Myles Turner makes a lot of sense for Charlotte who is not fully committed to Noah Vonleh or Cody Zeller at this point. Veterans Marvin Williams and Jason Maxiell play no role in the long-term picture either.
Turner is a bit of a project, but one that could yield a high reward if he becomes the baseline pick and pop player that many expect.
If Turner could put some work in the weight room in, he could develop into a very good power forward. If he does not, he will remind fans in Charlotte of another former player, Tyrus Thomas.
Next: #10 Miami Heat
It might surprise some to see Willie Cauley-Stein fall this far, but guys fall every draft and there will likely be legions of fans in Sacramento and Detroit screaming at their TVs (in this scenario we have created) that a European was drafted instead of a three-year player at a major NCAA powerhouse.
But Cauley-Stein’s limited offensive upside is what has the teams in front of Miami reaching for bigger plays. The Heat already have Hassan Whiteside, but Willie could play both post positions off the bench for the start of his NBA career.
Whiteside, Chris Anderson and Cauley-Stein would give Miami three major shot blockers and give it a scary frontcourt rotation.
Next: #11 Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are basically getting a huge upgrade by moving Rodney Stuckey to the bench here (notwithstanding that Stuckey obliterated the Magic this season) and obtaining a shooter whose talents could help take some of the scoring load off of Paul George when he returns.
The former Kentucky Wildcat is a gunner whose sweet spots seem to be everywhere. He would get plenty of open looks with George Hill and Paul George creating off the dribble.
NBADraft.net bestows a lofty comparison of Klay Thompson.
Booker does not come to the league as seasoned as Thompson did, but the similarities in play styles are there. If he became an All-Star within a few seasons the Pacers would be back in true contention.
One figures that with Paul George back in the lineup the Pacers ascend back to its former place near the top of the Central Division.
Next: #12 Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz were a slight surprise this year as a team that knocked on the door of a .500 record, and the team has a solid starter at each position already. Sam Dekker rounds this team out by giving it a sixth man.
With a pick here in the late lottery, the Jazz are a making a safer pick in Dekker. But they are also getting a guy whose length and toughness would be ideal in backing up both Gordon Hayward and Derrick Favors at both forward spots.
Dekker was plugged at OMD as an option if the Magic wanted to trade down. He may not do any one thing astoundingly well, but he is a jack-of-all-trades and is somewhat reminiscent of all-time great Sixth Man Detlef Schrempf. If he panned out to be that type of contributor, he would help complete a picture that is coming together well in Salt Lake City.
Next: #13 Phoenix Suns
Kelly Oubre answers a need for Phoenix, whose backcourt is now actually depleted after having once been its strength. Oubre could play both the 2 and 3 spots, which currently offer mediocre options for Phoenix.
Oubre’s role in Phoenix’s offense would be big, and that is befitting since he averaged 9.3 points per game as a freshman for Kansas. Getting him with the 13th pick would be a nice heist, but Phoenix has a long way to go in reconstructing its team.
Next: #14 OKC Thunder
Oklahoma City really has no positions of need, so it would not hurt to just draft a four-year player whose talents would immediately add depth.
Nick Collison is reaching the end of the rope and having another seven-footer to mix in the rotation with Steven Adams and Enes Kanter would hardly hurt.
Kaminsky’s ability to step out and hit the triple would be something neither Kanter, Adams nor Mitch McGary can bring to the table. McGary would be rendered obsolete, but he showed promise this year so presumably OKC could manage to get a return on him.