2015 NBA Mock Draft: ‘Tank Commander’ Version
By Zach Palmer
Let’s fire up one more mock draft here before the big show.
It is that time of year again!
The NBA Draft is nearly upon us and it is time for me to take a stab at predicting the pick order. I would like to note that mock drafts are exercises that are meant for fun, I am no professional draft guru (follow Sam Vecenie, Jonathan Givony and the guys at Draft Express, and Ed Isaacson among others for better insight).
While I have watched these prospects and paid attention to the smokescreens laid out by teams, these are all just educated guesses so take this mock draft with a grain of salt.
Now let the fun commence!
Power Forward. Kentucky. Karl-Anthony Towns. 1. player. 86. <p>This should not shock anybody. Reports are already flying around Towns is going to be the first overall pick in the draft and why shouldn’t he be? Back in the 1990s, before NBA rule changes, Jahlil Okafor would have been just as obvious of a number one pick as Karl-Anthony Towns is now. The NBA values floor spacing, athleticism and rim protection and this puts Towns ahead of Okafor in terms of value. Towns will join a promising young T-Wolves core that includes Andrew Wiggins, Shabazz Muhammad and Zach Lavine.</p>
20. <p>With the concerns about his defensive potential, Okafor drops to the second pick in the draft. As soon as reports started flying around that Karl-Anthony Towns was going to be the first overall pick in the draft, reports quickly followed saying Okafor will be the second pick in the draft.</p> <p>Okafor is probably the best back-to-the-basket prospect the league has seen in a long time. Sadly for Okafor, the NBA does not revolve around that style of play anymore.</p> <p>D’Angelo Russell is a legitimate option here, but with options at point guard available in Free Agency and with the surprising production of Jordan Clarkson, the Lakers have to go big here. Pairing Julius Randle and Jahlil Okafor definitely gives the Lakers a more Memphis Grizzlies-type of look up front and you would expect Los Angeles to slow down the pace so they can let their young post scorers go to work down low.</p>. Center. Duke. Jahlil Okafor. 2. player
<p>All right, so here is where the draft <em>could</em> get unpredictable. Sam Hinkie is known for making some pretty interesting moves. He drafted Joel Embiid after taking Nerlens Noel the year prior. He traded 2014 Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams after only one year in Philadelphia after coming to the conclusion he was not the point guard of the future.</p> <p>Hinkie then gambled on taking Elfrid Payton with the intention of holding the Magic hostage. With all of that in mind I find it hard to believe that the 76ers pass on D’Angelo Russell here. In today’s NBA it is possible Russell could have a bigger long-term impact than Jahlil Okafor.</p> <p>Russell has some next-level court vision, a ridiculous jumper off the dribble and an overall great feel for the game. Defensively, Russell might struggle a bit early on but he has the ability to become a capable defender. The 76ers currently have Isaiah Canaan and Ish Smith as the other point guards on the roster. Other guys that could go here are Mario Hezonja or Kristaps Porzingis.</p>. Shooting Guard. Ohio State. D'Angelo Russell. 3. player. 93
27. <p>The Knicks are a team to keep an eye on here. It is possible all of their talk about moving down is just that, talk. The thing is, it seems like the Knicks have interviewed a lot of guys that are projected to go anywhere from 8-14.</p> <p>If the Knicks hold onto this pick, I think they will go with Justise Winslow out of Duke. Listen, the entire Knicks roster is a disaster right now outside of Carmelo Anthony. Winslow can either play the shooting guard spot or he can play small forward and force Anthony to move over to the power forward spot. Winslow brings defense, high basketball IQ, and a huge motor. There are questions about Winslow’s jumper thanks to his poor mid-range shooting (around 28 percent). Other options here are Kristaps Porzingis and Emmanuel Mudiay. </p>. Small Forward. Duke. Justise Winslow. 4. player
38. <p>The fit just makes too much sense if Porzingis is still here for the Magic. The Magic were reportedly interested in Porzingis last year at 12 before he withdrew from the draft. Orlando had intended for Channing Frye to come in and be a stretch-4 to help Orlando’s offense have some sense of spacing. Porzingis brings what Channing Frye brings and a whole lot more. Porzingis is bigger, more athletic and has the ability to roll to the basket in addition to his highly touted popping ability. If Porzingis is gone here, I expect the Magic to look at Mario Hezonja or Justise Winslow.</p>. Power Forward. Latvia. Kristaps Porzingis. 5. player
Next: Picks 6-10