The 2015 NBA Draft Thread: Draft Day Is Here

[mgrand15]

Jay's shot looks broken as hell but does this really hurt his stock? or hurt it considerably? What I'm trine say is that is stock is as high as it is cause of the work he does down low in the post and by far dude has been the best low post scorer to come out in years

Yeah, don't really see why this matters much. If anything, that ugly shot might make him too embarrassed to take inefficient midrange jumpers or go YOLO like Bynum from 3. Why were they even making him shoot NBA 3s?

 

[pmatic]

Analytics, Models and the NBA Draft Part 2

http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Analytics-Models-and-the-NBA-Draft-Part-2-5068

CBS Sports 2015 NBA Mock Drafts: Sam Vecenie

http://www.cbssports.com/nba/draft/mock-draft/expert/sam-vecenie

Edit:

Popcorn Machine: Bill Landis

With the 2015 NBA Draft quickly approaching, Bill Landis -- the Ohio State beat writer for the Northeast Ohio Media Group -- joined The Popcorn Machine to break down what makes D'Angelo Russell one of the top incoming prospects. Landis offered his expertise on Russell's journey from underrated high school recruit to First Team All-American. Tune in for the breakdown of Russell's strengths, like his world-class court vision, and weaknesses.

http://www.nba.com/lakers/popcornmachine/150609billlandis

Popcorn Machine: Laura Keeley

Coming off their run to the National Championship, Duke’s Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones are expected to be some of the first players taken in the upcoming NBA Draft. Laura Keeley — the Blue Devils beat writer for the Raleigh News & Observer — joined The Popcorn Machine to give some analysis on the trio. Tune in for the breakdown of everything from Okafor’s dominant post game to Winslow’s sticky defense.

http://www.nba.com/lakers/popcornmachine/150609laurakeeley?cid=TW

 

[buc em]

I just hope the Lakers stick with drafting one of the two bigs so we'll definitely be able to get whoever it is we want at 3. If Mudiay's shot is really that improved and he's looking that good in workouts then I wouldn't have a problem drafting him over Russell.

 

[dacomeup]

Okafor's shot 

 

[buc em]

Do they give prospects Kobes at every one of these Laker workouts? I swear every decent prospect ever during those videos is rocking Kobes.

 

[pmatic]

Yeah, the equipment guy gives the prospects spare Kobes unless he already has a deal like Mudiay.

 

[al3xis]

If you didn't like Oubre to start with, Greg Whittington destroying him in a Suns workout probably won't help.

#draftGreg

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

How do you pronounce oubre? Like uber? Or like "ow, breh...that hurted"

 

[8pm at msg]

How do you pronounce oubre? Like uber? Or like "ow, breh...that hurted"

OoBray

 

[pmatic]

Updated DX Mock Draft: http://www.draftexpress.com/nba-mock-draft/2015/

Porzingis to Philly at #3.

Updated Mannix SI Mock Draft: http://www.si.com/nba/2015/06/10/nb...ps-porzingis-karl-anthony-towns-jahlil-okafor

 

[nicknasty]

will u post fords new big board please

 

[pmatic]

will u post fords new big board please

Chad Ford Big Board 11.0

The NBA draft team workouts are finally in motion. All 30 teams in the league are now hosting workouts of prospects almost daily. Although these workouts might seem superficial on the surface, they often serve as important tiebreakers between players whom teams like.

Nail the interview or the on-court portion of the workout, and you can still see your stock rise. Screw it up, and there's still room to fall. That said, there hasn't been a lot of major movement in our top 30. There's been some tweaking here and there based on feedback from teams. In other words, the board is stabilizing.

Here's our latest player rankings, based on feedback from NBA teams.

1. Karl-Anthony Towns

Towns has been No. 1 on the Big Board since March, and barring any last-minute injury or revelation, he'll be No. 1 on our Final Big Board as well. No prospect in the draft has a stronger combination of size and skill for his position. Towns has the potential to be a dominant 4 and 5 in the NBA on both sides of the floor. His engaging personality and excellent work ethic give him a clear path to stardom. According to the analytics, Towns ranks anywhere from No. 1 to 5 in most models used by NBA teams. Towns has yet to work out for anyone, and there remains a strong chance that he'll forgo workouts altogether. He is, however, planning on visiting both the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Lakers for interviews. In virtually every scenario, he goes either No. 1 to the Wolves or No. 2 to the Lakers.

2. D'Angelo Russell

Russell is in a two-way scrum with Okafor for No. 2 on most NBA boards. In speaking with numerous GMs and scouts, it appears Russell has gained a slight edge over Okafor, but it's very, very close. Usually size rises as we get closer to the draft, but with the elite play of Stephen Curry and James Harden this season, and a renewed focus on the 3-point shot in NBA offenses, Russell's shooting and playmaking ability actually might be more coveted than Okafor's old-school low-post game. Analytically, Russell ranks No. 1 or No. 2 on most models used by NBA teams. Russell's draft window looks pretty small. He should go either No. 2 to the Lakers or No. 3 to the Philadelphia 76ers. In the unusual circumstance that he falls, I don't see him getting past the New York Knicks at No. 4.

3. Jahlil Okafor

Okafor still is a highly coveted prospect but has lost ground in recent weeks to both Towns and Russell. His style of play is the major culprit. Teams are looking for versatility, playmaking, shooting and rim protection. While Okafor has the most polished low-post game in the draft with excellent size and length for his position, he doesn't check any of the "en vogue" boxes at the moment. He's still heavily in the mix at No. 1 to the Wolves, No. 2 to the Lakers and No. 4 to the Knicks.

4. Emmanuel Mudiay

Mudiay still is one of the harder players to get a read on right now. As I wrote on Tuesday, the fact that he's been hard for NBA teams to evaluate has hurt his stock a bit. But it doesn't mean he hasn't been improving. I was absolutely wowed with his workout, and I suspect the Lakers (who he worked out for on Saturday), Knicks (worked out for them on Tuesday), Sixers and Timberwolves will all be impressed as well. It wouldn't surprise me if he ends up No. 2 by the end of the process. Not only is he a great athlete with great size for his position, he has rare maturity for a 19-year-old. Mudiay has a great chance to be an All-Star, and in a head-to-head workout, I think he'd give Russell all he could handle -- maybe more. Mudiay is in the mix with the Lakers at No. 2, the Sixers at No. 3 and the Knicks at No. 4. I think his floor is the Kings at No. 6.

5. Kristaps Porzingis

Porzingis just arrived in the United States last weekend and is planning a major workout in Las Vegas for NBA teams on Friday. It will be the only workout Porzingis will do before the draft. He will fly to a few teams and do interviews, but this one workout will likely solidify his stock in one direction or the other. I'll be there in Vegas to report on the whole thing, but until then, it's still a little tough to get a great read on his draft stock. He's in the mix as high as No. 3 to the Sixers. The Magic like him a lot at No. 5 as well. I doubt he would slide past the Kings or the Nuggets at No. 6 or 7.

6. Justise Winslow

The Winslow vs. Mario Hezonja debate continues to rage in NBA front offices around the league. Hezonja is the bigger and better offensive player. Winslow is stronger, a better defender and a better-known quantity. Both have a chance to be terrific. Winslow gets the slight nod over Hezonja on our Big Board when surveying teams around the league, but it's very, very close. One thing that might get Winslow the nod is his place in certain analytics models. According to Real Plus/Minus, Winslow ranks No. 2 in the draft behind Towns. The Knicks are giving Winslow a very serious look at No. 4. The Magic at No. 5, the Kings at No. 6 and the Nuggets at No. 7 are also all seriously considering him.

7. Mario Hezonja

Hezonja is right there alongside Winslow as the top wingman on the board. The biggest thing hurting Hezonja right now is he's unable, due to team commitments, to come to NBA teams to interview and work out. While scouts have done their due diligence and scouted him heavily in Spain, his playing time and role with the team has been very inconsistent, especially lately. He might very well have overtaken Winslow had he been able to attend workouts. Nevertheless, Hezonja's range is pretty similar to Winslow's. He could go as high as No. 5 to the Magic. I don't think he slides past the Hornets at No. 9. The Nuggets and Pistons are also seriously in play for him.

8. Willie Cauley-Stein

Cauley-Stein is the last guy on this Big Board who has a good shot of going in the top 5. He's widely regarded as the best defender in the draft and > from everything I saw in two workouts in L.A. last week, he's living up to the hype as a player who can guard five positions on the floor. Players with his size, athletic ability and defensive instincts don't come along every day. He, too, is heavily in the mix for the Knicks at No. 4, the Magic at No.5 and Kings at No. 6. If he doesn't go there, however, he could be in for a bit of a slide. But there's no way he'll get past the Pacers at No. 11.

9. Myles Turner

Turner is another player hoping to have a coming out party in Las Vegas on Friday. He'll join Porzingis in that big workout in front of a number of top NBA GMs and scouts. Turner has been working on his athleticism and his running technique and the word from trainer Joe Abunassar is that he's improved significantly. Given Turner's size, skill set and potential, he could be a real draft sleeper. On pure upside, he's a top 5 talent. I'm not sure there's a team in the top five that will take him, but the Kings at No. 6, the Nuggets at No. 7, the Pistons at No. 8, the Heat at No. 10 and the Pacers at No. 11 are all taking a close look at Turner. The Jazz at No. 12 or the Suns at No. 13 probably are his floor.

10. Cameron Payne

In the past two months, Payne's rise on draft boards has been incredible. Payne didn't crack our Big Board until April when he debuted at No. 20. He moved up to No. 15 on Big Board 9.0 and then up to No. 11 on Big Board 10.0. Now, he's cracked the top 10 and is getting interest from the Lakers, Knicks and Kings -- all teams drafting in the top 6. What gives? His combination of quickness, length and the ability to score and pass the ball are clearly intriguing teams. I like him, but I wonder if teams are getting a little too caught up in the hype. I'm projecting him to go to the Pacers at No. 11. The Kings at No. 6, the Hornets at No. 9 and the Thunder at No. 14 are other real possibilities.

I can post the rest of the top 30 later.

 

[buc em]

There is absolutely 100% no chance the Sixers draft Porzingas. So unless that's a trade that DX is predicting they just lost some credibility from me.

 

[carver]

There's always a chance 

 

[Olympus]

Sixers draft another big and I'm slappin somebody.

 

[buc em]

There's literally zero chance they draft him. They do that and they can kiss Saric coming over goodbye and they still wouldn't have anybody to play point guard or shoot the ball.

Outside of Russell and Mudiay I think Hezonja might be the only other dude who would make sense for them.

 

[carver]

Yall don't believe in Canaan, wroten or the god Ish Smith

 

[ballinsam23]

If Sixers are convinced that Saric isnt coming over i'd try to move him for a lotto pick.

 

[kal-el-8]

 

[hometownhero]

JO is gonna be fine. Don't care what his jumper looks like. If he takes more than 3 a game, something is wrong anyway. 

 

[johnnyredstorm]

these mocks are god awful.

 

[shoeking2102]

these mocks are god awful.

Shock value 

 

[BIG LEEMELONE]

If Sixers are convinced that Saric isnt coming over i'd try to move him for a lotto pick.

I'd like to see the team that gives up a lotto pick for a player that won't come to the nba. That's a sam hinkle tank move if anything

 

[nick.]

these mocks are god awful.

Shock value 

definitely

why can't it be the 25th tomorrow, the speculation is killing me

 

[wavycrocket]

People have taken this "pace and space" stretch 5 trend a little too far.

Not picking Jahlil in the top 2 or 3 picks will come back to haunt those teams that passed on him. That guy has IT.

It's easier to learn to be an average to good defender and develop a Jump shot...(especially with Jahlil's physical tools).....than it is to learn his offensive post arsenal.