In April, Willie Cauley-Stein and Frank Kaminsky were foes in college, but they’re both about to be NBA lottery picks. Photo Credit: Andy Lyons, Getty Images
Now that the 2015 NBA Draft Lottery is behind us, with the Minnesota Timberwolves coming out on top, it’s time to start paying closer attention to the 2015 NBA Mock Drafts that happen over the next few weeks.
One thing I like to do is to average out the mock drafts to see which players are loved the most by mock draft analysts.
The problem with doing it this way, however, makes it tricky to see which positions each teams are trying to fill.
So what we’re going to do is a little different. We’re going to do ADP based on six different mock drafts around the web, and instead of going off of the numbers only, we’ll also go off of which players are most commonly chosen by which teams. This should give us a better idea of what the 2015 NBA Draft will look like, with a consensus point of view.
The six websites we’re going to use all updated their 2015 NBA Mock Drafts either late last night or early this morning, and they include:
ESPN.com: Chad Ford updated his mock draft on ESPN Insider.
CBSSports.com: Their NBA writer, Chad Vecenie, updated his mock draft this morning.
MyNBADraft.com: There’s no analysis, but these guys have records of every NBA Draft dating back to 1957.
SBNation.com: Kevin O’Connor posted his updated mock just after 8am ET today.
SI.com: Chris Mannix shared his updated mock this morning.
BleacherReport.com: Damn you, slide shows. Jonathan Wasserman posted his mock draft late last night.
2015 NBA Mock Draft ADP
And here is the order of the 2015 NBA Draft, with most popular picks for each spot listed:
1. Minnesota Timberwolves: Karl-Anthony Towns, PF, Kentucky
It’s a consensus for the first overall draft pick, and it’s doubtful the T-Wolves trade this pick. They’ve never had the first overall pick, and they’re coming off Andrew Wiggins’ Rookie-of-the-Year campaign.
”Towns, a polished post player who also thrives at the free-throw line, has the early edge. The chance to send Towns to Kevin Garnett College for a year has to be appealing to the Timberwolves, too.” – Mannix, SI.com
2. L.A. Lakers: Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke
The first two picks are the easy ones, according to all of the mock drafters, and Okafor gets to pair up with a healthy-ish Kobe Bryant and power forward Julius Randle.
”Offensively, Okafor is the most gifted young big man I’ve seen in a decade. He has great feet and hands and plays with a great feel for the game. He’s going to average 20 ppg in the league. If Okafor can keep that slimmed-down physique he showed off in New York this week, he might end up surprising us all on the defensive end.” – Ford, ESPN.com
3. Philadelphia 76ers: D’Angelo Russell, SG, Ohio State
Five of six teams agree that the Sixers will take Russell, with Mannix thinking they’ll go for the other guard, Emmanuel Mudiay, instead.
D’Angelo Russell is the best player in the #NBADraft …according to D’Angelo Russell. https://t.co/P51EZSKrRE
— BuzzFeed Sports (@BuzzFeedSports) May 17, 2015
4. New York Knicks: Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, DR Congo
The Knicks would love to see Russell drop to four, but if not, five of six mockers think they’ll go with Mudiay.
”Maybe if Mudiay had spent the year dominating the NCAA, he’d be more hyped as an elite prospect, but he’s considered a mystery by many fans after spending the year in China. Mudiay is an excellent pick-and-roll playmaker, though he must improve on his shooting. He also has wonderful potential as a defender due to his strength and lateral quickness.” – O’Connor, SBNation
5. Orlando Magic: Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Latvia
Four of six mockers like the Latvian big man to go to the Magic to play amongst an excellent young nucleus.
”Comparisons coming out of Porzingis’s camp are lofty: Kevin Garnett. Porzingis isn’t as skilled of a post player as KG, but he is a legitimate stretch four, athletic with a fluid shooting stroke. Porzingis will need a year to bulk up but he has enormous potential.” – Mannix, SI.com
6. Sacramento Kings: Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky
Again, four of six mockers like the quirky Kentucky center to go to Sacramento to play alongside DeMarcus Cousins.
”Kentucky’s spring-loaded 7-footer is equipped to change the complexion of Sactown’s stoppage. With a strong yet rangy frame and elite athleticism, he tracks down attackers and puts an electric fence around the rim. He has a unique knack for stifling players of all shapes, sizes and styles. It’s what makes scouts crave him, and it’s also why executives like Larry Bird have called him a $100 million player.” – Wasserman/Dan O’Brien, BleacherReport.com
7. Denver Nuggets: Justise Winslow, SF, Duke
The Duke power forward is certainly the favorite here, as five of six mockers peg the Nuggets to take him.
”Few players show the tenacity on the defensive end of the floor that Winslow does on a nightly basis. He’s long, has a strong base and can defend multiple positions. Most important of all, he wants to shut his man down. Winslow is raw on offense, but he’ll provide complementary scoring early in his career.” – O’Connor, SBNation.com
8. Detroit Pistons: Mario Hezonja, SF, Croatia
Just three mockers like the Pistons to take the Croatian, but the other three agree that they’ll grab a forward here (two believe Porzingis drops to here). Who else is from that area of Croatia and Serbia? … Oh yeah!
Forget ghost of Darko, Mario Hezonja may be best for @DetroitPistons. @DrewSharp‘s column: http://t.co/zTGHeBMjue pic.twitter.com/BD9HC0bgDM — Detroit Free Press (@freep) May 20, 2015
9. Charlotte Hornets: Devin Booker, G, Kentucky
Another Kentucky freshman comes off the board here, as the Hornets need some help on the outside to help Al Jefferson.
”The top four 3-point-shooting teams in the NBA just happen to be the last four teams standing in the NBA playoffs. That fact won’t be lost on the Hornets, who this season finished dead last in the NBA in 3-point-shooting percentage at 31.8 percent. While Booker might be a little bit of a stretch here, he’s quite possibly the best shooter in the draft.” – Ford, ESPN.com
10. Miami Heat: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona
Once again, the Heat enter an offseason with a lot of question marks, for the second summer in a row. Three mockers like Johnson to land in South Florida, with a couple others thinking they’ll go with Texas frontcourt man Myles Turner.
”Miami’s future is murky, with various players entering free agency and/or aging. Johnson is a high-end, versatile defensive player and provides complementary offense with his shooting and pick-and-roll play.” – O’Connor, SBNation.com
11. Indiana Pacers: Myles Turner, PF/C, Texas
Fewer mock drafters are agreeing on picks the later we get. Two mockers like Turner to go to Indiana, but he could go as high as Orlando from what I’ve read elsewhere.
6-11 PF Myles Turner said during his interview w/ #Pacers at NBA combine, team focused on how they’re changing their style of play. — Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) May 14, 2015
12. Utah Jazz: Trey Lyles, PF, Utah
Once again, just a pair of mockers agree on this pick, out of all six. Lyles would join an already decent young corps in Salta Lake City.
”Lyles has a high basketball IQ, good size for his position and versatility.He’s not the most explosive athlete in the world, but his solid all-around game makes him a good fit in Utah. Frank Kaminsky,Sam Dekker and Kevon Looney are other players who will get serious looks here by the Jazz.” – Ford, ESPN.com
13. Phoenix Suns: Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin
One of the most agreed upon late picks, Frank the Tank works perfectly here, going from the Land of Cheese to the Land of the Suns.
”This is the perfect marriage between scheme and player. Kaminsky is going to be able to space the floor for the slashing play of Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe, as well as attack closeouts from players who charge at his shot too hard. The collegiate national player of the year will always have some defensive deficiencies, but he’ll always be effective as long as he can shoot and handle the ball in space.“ — Vecenie, CBSSports.com
14. Oklahoma City Thunder: Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
Just a couple agree on this one, but it’s possible that the Wisconsin teammates go back-to-back here.
Frank Kaminsky and Sam Dekker starred at Wisconsin but each could be in the Suns’ draft range. http://t.co/u8QqfbuuTs pic.twitter.com/ckKZNn7Xwi
— Paul Coro (@paulcoro) May 15, 2015
We’ll try to do another one of these 2015 NBA Mock Draft ADP exercises just before the June 25 draft.