2015 NBA Draft

One of the most interesting and deepest drafts in the last 5 years. 

By: Lamar "L.A" Smith

The 2015 NBA Draft was compelling. This year's draft saw Karl Anthony-Towns a center from the University of Kentucky went No. 1 overall to the Minnesota Timberwolves. Towns was also the 2015 SEC Freshman of the year and was the 2014 Gatorade Athlete of the Year. Towns was a consensus No.1 overall pick by many scouts and analysts since Kentucky's "Pursuit of Perfection" ended in the Final Four this past Spring. UK dominated the draft with more players getting drafted than any other school and tying a NBA Draft record (UK set the record in 2012). The No. 2 pick was a surprise with D'Angelo Russell going over Jahlil Okafor a skilled big man from the 2015 National Champion Duke Blue Devils. Russell being drafted just shows how the league is constantly changing and focusing more on perimeter play. Russell was considered to by most to have the best chance of becoming a superstar in the next five years.

This year's draft was filled with a lot of talent which will have a nice impact on the league in the next few years. Although, similar to any draft a few slept on players will make a few teams pay.

My 380 Sleepers (zzzzz's)

• Justise Winslow: A guy who was a top 5 prospect was picked at No, 10. Any analyst watching the Draft would've been puzzled. Winslow was the best available player after Towns, Russell and Okafor and was the best two-way wing player in the draft. He played his best basketball during the NCAA Tournament and was the engine which fueled Duke to hoist the 2015 NCAA trophy.Winslow now goes to a strong Heat team where he can continue to win with a great Miami Heat organization. Winslow can grow without any pressure to be a star right away. Winslow could possibly be as good as Kawhi Leonard and at worst he will be a role player who possibly will start on most teams. Although, most scouts say he possibly could be like James Harden.
• Sam Dekker: Dekker was passed on by Milwaukee, Boston and Atlanta who all could've used his services though Atlanta and Milwaukee passing on Dekker was probably the most surprising. Dekker can score, can shoot the 3, can handle the ball and is a pretty good athlete. Similar to Winslow he played his best basketball during the NCAA Tournament this year as the Badgers upset the Kentucky Wildcats and faced Duke in the National Championship game.
• Bobby Portis: A few names came to mind when I thought of my top three sleepers in the Draft but out of the other candidates: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Jerian Grant; Bobby Portis is in the best position to succeed. Portis brings more youth and versatility to an older but deep Bulls' frontcourt. Portis is athletic, can shoot the ball and hits the boards hard. The Bulls found a gem late in the draft in the 2015 SEC Player of the Year.

Top 8 Draft Nights

• Timberwolves: The Timberwolves fulfilled two needs by drafting Karl-Anthony Towns at No. 1 and trading the team's two 2nd round picks for Duke Blue Devil Tyus Jones. Towns is a strong interior defender and is UK's best big man not named Anthony Davis in a long time. Jones is a smart point guard who has a high basketball IQ and is more than capable of playing a few spot starting minutes shall Ricky Rubio get hurt. Minnesota has a few players with lots of potential in LaVine, Wiggins and now Towns. Flip Saunders is a good coach who finally can see some light at the end of the tunnel in Minnesota.
• Rockets: The Rockets picked Sam Dekker from Wisconsin  at No. 18 and Montrezl Harrell at No. 32. Dekker has upside and will be a good rotation player should Houston not be able to sign Corey Brewer in free agency and gives them depth on the wing. Dekker plays similar to Chandler Parsons so he should fit well into Houston's up-tempo offense. Harrell is a less athletic Kenneth Faried with a mediocre jump shot. Harrell eats the glass and was one of the best offensive rebounders in college basketball last year. Harrell gives Houston a rugged defender up front who can add some size to the frontcourt if Josh Smith leaves in free agency.
• Lakers: D'Angelo Russell was picked No. 2 and based on ESPN's advanced metric has the best chance of being a superstar in the next five years though, he also has the best chance of being a bust as well. Larry Nance Jr. son of Larry Nance the inaugural dunk champion in the NBA is an athletic big similar to his father and has some decent talent for a late first rounder. Antonio Brown the team's 34th pick is a solid scorer and a versatile wing defender who can shoot threes well and should be a strong role player. Although, Russell was the true gem especially considering when Rick Pitino called him 'the most gifted passer he's ever seen not named Magic.' Russell's skill set just screams "Showtime".
• Heat: The Heat were able to pull off the biggest shocker of the night and somehow snag Justice Winslow at No. 10. Winslow reminds me a lot of Kawhi Leonard though some analysts feel he could even be as good as James Harden. Michael Smith co-host of "His & Hers" also feels Winslow could be as good as Harden 'I'm not saying he will be as good as Harden but when I look at his game I see a lot of Harden.' Josh Richardson was picked at No. 40 and was on the SEC All-Defensive Team and is a good shooter. Richardson adds more depth on the wing barring the unlikelihood Dwyane Wade leaves the Heat and also in the event Wade stays.
• Wizards: The Wizards traded up to get Kelly Oubre from the Hawks who is a great athlete with a 37 in. vertical and a long 7'2 wingspan despite only being 6'7. He has all the tools to be a really good defender and can shoot the ball. Oubre is a smart decision considering Paul Pierce may leave to sign with the Clippers. Aaron White was picked at No. 49 and is an athletic big who runs the floor well and can shoot the ball with range and gives the Wiz a different look than the team's other bigs.
• Thunder: OKC drafted Cameron Payne and Dakari Johnson last Thursday. Cameron Payne is a combo guard though, Payne will play point guard due to his size and will fill the role Reggie Jackson played last season. Payne can flat out score and will give the team some backcourt security when the team has to dispose of a few role players due to the clutter of depth the Thunder acquired before the trade deadline. Johnson is an NBA ready center and is big and physical. Johnson will clog up the paint and plays good help defense. Johnson has awful footwork despite the fact he can score in the post. Johnson was a good pick but most likely will be a NBA back up.
• Pacers: The Pacers picked up Myles Turner and Joe Young. Indiana drafted with the vision to play faster this year and will get rid of the team's grit and grind method which took the team to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances before last season. Turner is a great shot-blocker and can space the floor with his jump shot but often times settles for jumpers and lacks aggression. Shall Turner change this he will help the Pacers out especially in a year where David West likely will not be back next year and as the team looks to shop former All-Star center Roy Hibbert. Young is a great scorer out of Oregon who will be a nice backcourt mate for George Hill who had a strong year last year. Young will likely come off the bench but will provide another scorer for a team who struggles to score.
• Pistons: The Pistons drafted Stanley Johnson and Darrun Hilliard. Johnson knocks down spot up 3's, a great athlete, has an NBA ready body and is a beast on the fastbreak. Add Johnson's 7'0 wingspan and competitiveness and you have a player who shall excel on the next level. Hillard can score the ball and adds backcourt depth. He is a skilled offensive player but, in the 2nd-round all a team looks for is a player with one NBA ready skill which the team can build on. Hillard can put the ball in the basketball and had his best scoring games late in his senior season at Villanova.

0- The number of picks the Clippers had in this year's draft. Although, the Clippers traded cash to acquire the No. 56 pick Branden Dawson an athletic wing player from Michigan State with a high basketball IQ.

This overall was a strong draft with even more solid picks than the ones mentioned in this article. The race for the Rookie of the Year should  be very competitive this year.