The 2015 NBA Draft Lottery Thread
Dec 8, 2014 15:20:18 GMT -5
Post by ChrisBrown on Dec 8, 2014 15:20:18 GMT -5
For discussing the lottery and the draft as a whole, because good god the Pistons are awful and they should contend for a top 3 pick. Who might be available?
NBA Draft.Net
1 - Emmanuel Mudiay - G
2 - Jahlil Okafor - PF/C
3 - Karl-Anthony Towns - C
4 - Myles Turner - PF/C
5 - Stanley Johnson - SF
Of Note - Caris LeVert listed 12th and Branden Dawson listed 47th
Draft Express
1 - Okafor
2 - Mudiay
3 - Towns
4 - Justise Winslow - SF
5 - Mario Hezonja - G/F
Of Note - Caris LeVert listed 13th and Branden Dawson listed 48th
Chad Ford $
1 - Okafor
2 - Mudiay
3 - Towns
4 - Kristaps Porzingis - PF
5 - Kevon Looney - PF
Of Note - Caris LeVert 17th, Zak Irvin 33rd
NBA Draft.Net
1 - Emmanuel Mudiay - G
2 - Jahlil Okafor - PF/C
3 - Karl-Anthony Towns - C
4 - Myles Turner - PF/C
5 - Stanley Johnson - SF
Of Note - Caris LeVert listed 12th and Branden Dawson listed 47th
Draft Express
1 - Okafor
2 - Mudiay
3 - Towns
4 - Justise Winslow - SF
5 - Mario Hezonja - G/F
Of Note - Caris LeVert listed 13th and Branden Dawson listed 48th
Chad Ford $
1 - Okafor
Okafor has definitely lived up to the hype early in the season. He's shooting 74 percent from the field at the rim and an impressive 41 percent on his 2-point jumpers. His footwork, soft hands and poise in the paint have all been extraordinary. There hasn't been a freshman big man this polished offensively in a while. One small area of concern is on the defensive side of things. Okafor's 14.5 rebounding rate is solid, but not elite. For someone so big and strong, he should be grabbing more boards. However, he remains the consensus No. 1 pick in the draft. Mudiay and Towns (and possibly Porzingis) will give him a serious run, but for now he's on top of the Big Board of every NBA exec I spoke with.
There were serious questions among NBA scouts about how Mudiay would fare in China. So far the results have been very positive. Mudiay's numbers have been strong in his first nine games, and just as importantly, his team (Guangdong) has been winning when he's on the floor. The only real weakness right now is a pedestrian 32 percent from beyond the arc. An ankle injury has kept him out of action the past couple of weeks, but it's nothing serious -- his camp, understandably, is bringing him back slowly. There's very little question at this point that Mudiay is the best guard prospect in the draft. I don't think there's a close second. Where he goes in the draft will likely depend on who gets the top overall pick.
John Calipari's platoon system is artificially limiting Towns' minutes and stats. But when you dig a little deeper, he's having an extraordinary season -- especially on the defensive end. His 18.2 rebound rate is the best in the country among freshmen, and he's averaging an impressive 3 blocks per game in just under 19 minutes a game. While it will be hard for Towns to keep up with Okafor in sheer production, every scout who has seen Kentucky play this season has come to the same conclusion. Towns is not only the best player on UK right now but also a legit contender for the No. 1 pick.
4 - Kristaps Porzingis - PF
Porzingis was everyone's upside guy last season. This season, he's getting even more minutes for Sevilla. For a 19-year-old, he's putting up impressive stats in Spain in Eurocup play. He's shooting 52 percent from the field and 54 percent from 3-point range. His shooting percentages are down in ACB (Spanish League) play, but everyone from NBA scouts to Americans who have had the chance to play with him or against him are telling me the same thing: Porzingis is for real. At this point, the top four in the draft are looking very solid. We might not have the order figured out yet, but a combination of Okafor, Mudiay, Towns and Porzingis have a pretty solid grip on the top four slots.
Looney is off to a great start at UCLA. He has especially stood out as an offensive rebounder. He has a 15.6 offensive rebounding rate. He uses his long arms and terrific motor to constantly crash the boards. He's taking 65 percent of his shots at the rim and is converting 58 percent of them. What Looney needs to improve is his perimeter game. Billed as a versatile player coming out of high school, he has yet to find his range on his jumper. He's shooting just 28.6 on his 2-point jumpers and 22 percent on his 3s. Even if that jump shot never comes, his size and length still project him as a potential elite 4 in the NBA.
Of Note - Caris LeVert 17th, Zak Irvin 33rd