15/3/15
2015 Mock NBA Draft 2.0
Here is an updated look at who will be chosen in the lottery selections in the 2015 NBA draft:
1.)
Orlando: Emmanuel Mudiay - PG - 19 - Congo - 196cm - 86kg _____With big man Nikola Vucevic earning an all-star selection with his impressive form this season, it wouldn't be a shock to see the Magic look beyond the likes of Towns and Okafor and go with point guard Emmanuel Mudiay. Congo-born Mudiay is lighting up the Chinese league this season and would certainly be an upgrade on Elfrid Payton. He is likely the most NBA-ready prospect in this draft.
2.)
Philadelphia: Kelly Oubre - SF - 19 - Kansas - 201cm - 91kg _____Philadelphia may also choose to look past the highly-rated big men in this draft and go for a player who would be a better fit in their team. They already have the bookends of Michael Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, so a wing player like Kelly Oubre would be a great pick for them. The likes of Stanley Johnson, Justise Winslow, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Mario Hezonja could also be looked at with this pick.
3.)
Utah: Jahlil Okafor - C - 19 - Duke - 211cm - 122kg _____Utah also have a couple of talented big men in Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter, but could well go for Okafor or Towns due to the fact that Kanter will be a free agent this off-season. Adding Okafor to a young core of Favors, Kanter, Gordon Hayward, Alec Burks, Trey Burke and Dante Exum would put the Jazz in a great position to return to the heights of the late 1990's in the next few years.
4.)
Milwaukee: Karl-Anthony Towns - PF/C - 19 - Kentucky - 213cm - 113kg _____The Bucks already have Larry Sanders and John Henson, but they can both play at power forward. So it wouldn't be a surprise to see them take Karl Towns with this pick. Like Orlando, Philadelphia and Utah they have a number of highly-rated young players like Jabari Parker, Brandon Knight and Giannis Antetokounmpo and could be a team to look out for in the next few seasons.
5.)
Boston: Myles Turner - C - 19 - Texas - 211cm - 109kg _____Boston will be looking to draft a big man and Myles Turner would be the best one available. With Rajon Rondo gone the fans will be looking for a new hero to worship and Turner definitely has the potential to be an all-star calibre player in the future. The defensive potential of a Celtics team containing Turner, Jared Sullinger, Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart would be extremely high.
6.)
Denver: Cliff Alexander - PF/C - 19 - Kansas - 206cm - 113kg _____Denver are a team that will be hoping one of the many big men that are touted as high draft picks will still be available when it's their turn to choose a prospect. Cliff Alexander may not be on the top of their wish-list, but he is still a talented player in his own right. The Nuggets shed some salary in the Rondo trade and will be looking to have a big off-season and set themselves up to make the playoffs again.
7.)
Sacramento: Montrezl Harrell - PF/C - 20 - Louisville - 203cm - 110kg _____The Kings already have one of the best big men in the league in DeMarcus Cousins and they will most likely be looking to secure a frontcourt partner for him with this pick. What Harrell lacks in size he more than makes up for in energy and rebounding. Some NBA scouts have compared him favourably to Denver big man Kenneth Faried.
8.)
LA Lakers: Stanley Johnson - SF - 19 - Arizona - 201cm - 111kg _____With the Lakers focussed on the Kobe farewell tour they may even decide to trade this pick on draft night for an established player to help Bryant compete for one last title before he retires. If they are smart though they will be looking to bring in someone who will eventually be Kobe's replacement. Arizona forward Stanley Johnson will likely never be a great scorer like Kobe, but he has great defensive qualities. Plus he grew up just down the road in Fullerton, CA.
9.)
Minnesota (via Brooklyn) : Kristaps Porzingis - PF - 19 - Latvia - 216cm - 100kg _____Porzingis is the wild card of this draft class. He could be a top 3 pick or he could fall out of the first round altogether. His unusual blend of height and shooting touch make him an intriguing prospect. His main weakness is literally his lack of strength. He has a very skinny frame and will likely get bullied against the big men of the NBA. Minnesota have enough wing players though and if David Kahn can resist drafting another point guard, then Porzingis would be a great pick up.
10.)
Dallas: Mario Hezonja - 19 - SG/SF - Croatia - 203cm - 98kg _____The pick that Mario Hezonja goes at will likely be determined by which teams have the early picks and what their needs are. Most teams would go with an Okafor or Towns before picking Hezonja, but if they need a wing scorer then he would be top priority. He is the stand-out shooting guard in this draft class and it wouldn't be surprising to see him land at Philadelphia or Utah within the first few picks of the draft. He has an NBA-ready bosy having spent this season playing in Barcelona.
11.)
Philadelphia (via Toronto): Caris LeVert - SG - 20 - Michigan - 201cm - 91kg _____After filling their small forward hole with Oubre the Sixers will be looking to add a shooting guard to their team. Hezonja would have been their first priority, but Caris LeVert wouldn't exactly be a consolation prize. Adding LeVert and Oubre to their team would give crazy length defensively. Obviously they have the twin towers of Joel Embiid and Nerlens Noel, but they also have a tall point guard in Michael Carter-Williams.
12.)
Washington: Justise Winslow - SF - 19 - Duke - 198cm - 102kg _____Probably the biggest problem position for the Wizards is at small forward. Paul Pierce only has a couple of seasons left and 2013 number 3 pick Otto Porter has not developed as well as they were hoping he would. Duke forward Justise Winslow could be the solution for them. He is an exceptional athlete and isn't afraid to use his physical ability to attack the basket. He would fit right in alongside the likes of John Wall and Bradley Beal.
13.)
Atlanta: Bobby Portis - PF - 19 - Arkansas - 208cm - 109kg _____With Paul Millsap on an expiring contract the Hawks may look to draft a direct replacement with this pick. Bobby Portis could be their guy. He is a handy scorer and quite strong on the defensive end. He has good shooting range for a big man as well. He and Al Horford could work well together as they both have a decent perimeter game for their size.
14.)
Minnesota: Tyus Jones - PG - 19 - Duke - 185cm - 86kg _____You just know David Kahn will use one of his picks to draft a point guard. Mo Williams is the only real back-up for Ricky Rubio and he is coming to the end of his contract at the end of the season, so it may actually be a smart move to draft someone like Tyus Jones. He has spent all season feeding Duke team-mate Jahlil Okafor in the paint. He would be a handy back-up if he could do the same thing with Brook Lopez in the NBA.
Other potential lottery picks
Aaron Harrison - SG - Kentucky
Andrew Harrison - PG/SG - Kentucky
Willie Cauley-Stein - C - Kentucky
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson - SF - Arizona
Wayne Selden - SG - Kansas
Kevon Looney - PF - UCLA
Sam Dekker - SF - Wisconsin
Chris Walker - PF - Florida
Terry Rozier - PG - Louisville
Norman Powell - SG - UCLA
Isaiah Taylor - PG - Texas
Dakari Johnson - C - Kentucky
Alex Poythress - SF/PF - Kentucky