| Player | Ave |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 1 |
| Jahlil Okafor | 3 |
| Emmanuel Mudiay | 3 |
| D'Angelo Russell | 3 |
| Justise Winslow | 6 |
| Kristaps Porzingis | 7 |
| Mario Hezonja | 7 |
| Willie Cauley-Stein | 8 |
| Stanley Johnson | 8 |
| Kelly Oubre | 11 |
| Myles Turner | 12 |
| Kevon Looney | 13 |
| Bobby Portis | 14 |
| Trey Lyles | 16 |
| Frank Kaminsky | 16 |
| Devin Booker | 17 |
| Jerian Grant | 18 |
| Kris Dunn | 18 |
| Montrezl Harrell | 20 |
| Jakob Poeltl | 23 |
First and Second Tier:
I've been reluctant to embrace a non-rim-protecting big as the number one overall pick. It's interesting to see folks who do this for a living are slowly hopping off the Jahlil Okafor (3) bandwagon.
Karl-Anthony Towns (1) has now grabbed the top spot across the boards due to his upside on both ends of the floor. He may not be as tricky in the post as Okafor, but he's a bruiser with more face-up potential on offense and a great wingspan and timing on defense.
Joining Okafor in this "second tier" of guys slotted at number three, Emmanuel Mudiay (3) is an athletic and skilled point guard with the size and strength to punish defenders at the point of attack. As he learns the NBA game and shows a consistent effort, he'll be a great piece for one of the lottery winners. If he adds a consistent jumper, look out.
The other guard slotted here is a personal favorite of mine: D'Angelo Russell (3). Why do I like "DAR" so much? He's got incredible open-court vision and passing ability and he's a very effective shooter (especially from three) both spotting up and off the dribble. Granted, his athleticism and quickness may limit his upside, so chances are he won't make a living at the free throw line like James Harden does in the NBA. Still, he's young, he's got the tools and IQ to make teammates better, and he spaces the floor, which are special combination in a top 5 guard in any draft.
Large Group / Small Forwards:
As the college basketball season unfolded, I was unsure whether I preferred Duke's Justise Winslow (6) or Arizona's Stanley Johnson (8). Both freshmen are two-way wing players who can be defensive stoppers, hit the three or finish above the rim. Winslow just makes winning plays which don't always show up in the boxscore. Justise's athleticism, effort and decent touch from behind the arc will make him a winner at the next level too. Johnson is big and strong and quick. Stanley's game probably translates better to the spacing of the NBA, and his offensive IQ has been widely underrated. I've noticed him anticipate how plays are about to develop as he makes a read and fires a nice pass to an open teammate, so I think he has a nice feel for the game for such a young player.
Spanish wing Mario Hezonja (7) has great range and is not afraid to use it, but he can also finish above the rim. I watched a couple of his Barcelona games this season. He can handle the ball as well, so he'll be able to play the two for sure in the NBA. One game stands out, as he was aggressive and effective on offense, but his coach sat him on the bench for repeatedly letting his man blow right by him on defense. He's a skilled athlete, so there may be hope for his defense. The other thing which stood out is his demonstrative behavior on the court. When he didn't get the call, or if a teammate made a mistake, Mario definitely wore his heart on his sleeve. Hopefully, he can turn that passion into a positive and become good influence on his team and work to improve his own game, especially his defense.
Let's not forget about Kelly Oubre (11) from Kansas. Kelly's performance was not on the same trajectory as the other two Americans, but his potential is still intact as an athletic two-way guy in his own right. Does he have the heart and drive to reach his potential? The same could be asked of all of these guys.
Big Questions:
Kristaps Porzingis (7) is a sweet-shooting, smooth-finishing big man who sets good screens and likes to score. Unfortunately, that's the extent of the positives I can say about him. I must confess, I only saw one of his Seville games, so please take the following rant with a grain of salt. He was too thin, he didn't get into a defensive stance to adequately defend people, he didn't box out, he was unwilling to go after loose balls and he took shots that would give a coach gray hairs. Whoever drafts him will need to teach him how to make winning plays in the game of basketball as they work on improving his body. This is a project, but for the right team/system/coach, perhaps Kristaps could become a great player. I wouldn't draft him in the lottery, myself, but what do I know? He could have been drafted last year, but pulled his name out late in the process. If I made my own big board, he'd be listed in the late teens/early twenties at best.
Willie Cauley-Stein (8) On the defensive end of the court, WCS can stay in front of just about anyone, so that will allow his coach to switch on screens to his heart's content. If he continues to work and improve his 18 foot jumper, then he'll be a fine NBA player for a long time. If he loses interest, well...
Myles Turner (12) What's the deal with how he runs? He looks awkward, but he seems to be effective as a big man. Could his legs just be super efficient and we haven't actually seen someone like that before, so it looks strange to us? Trust me, teams will do their due-diligence when evaluating this young man.
Anyway, I could write tons more about the next set of bigs; Lyles, Portis and Kaminsky, but we'll save them for another time. Kris Dunn and Devin Booker are players I like a lot, though they have a couple of warts too.
Overall, this 2015 draft will probably be considered a strong one in a few years. While there are no obvious superstars, there will be plenty of good starters and role players to be had (along with the disappointments found in every draft). Who's going to be great? Who will be out of the league after their rookie deal? I hope to come back and reevaluate these guys in a few years.
No comments:
Post a Comment