2015 Rough Mock Draft

[Zordor]

Used ESPN Lottery Machine to choose the draft order
Tell me what you think, I went more with Team needs and player fit and less "best player available"
1 Knicks - Karl Anthony Towns C
2 Timberwolves- Jahlil Okafor C
3 76ers - Emmanuel Mundaiy PG
4 Lakers - Justise Winslow SF
5 Magic- Kristaps Porzingis PF
6 Nuggets -D’Angelo Russell PG
7 Kings - Willie Cauley-Stein C
8 Pistons -Mario Hezonja SG
9 Heat - Kelly Oubre Jr SF
10 Hornets - Stanley Johnson SF
11 Pacers - Bobby Portis PF
12 Jazz -Kevon Looney PF
13 Thunder - Sam Dekker SF
14 Suns - Frank Kaminsky C
15 Hawks - RJ Hunter SG
16 Celtics -Devin Booker SG
17 Bucks - Trey Lyles PF
18 Wizards - Myles Turner PF/C
19 Rockets -Jerian Grant PG
20 Raptors- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson SG
21 Mavericks- Montrezl Harrell PF
22 Bulls-Cameron Payne PG
23 Trailblazers- Christian Wood PF
24 Cavaliers - Delon Wright PG
25 Grizzlies - Justin Anderson SF
26 Spurs - Tyler Harvey SG
27 Lakers - Tyus Jones PG
28 Celtics - Robert Upshaw C
29 Nets - Jarell Martin PF
30 Golden State - Norman Powell SG

[jman3134]

We should really take Cameron Payne in my mind if he is available or trade up to get him. I like Anderson's toughness, but he is a second rounder in my mind, as his 50% 3pt shooting was quite unsustainable imo.

[BarbaGrizz]

Maybe I´m biased because he´s a fellow brazilian, but at the #25 I would take a flyer on George Lucas. He has DPOY potential and can learn from the grindfather and from Conley.

[Zordor]

Ya, a lot of people had Grizzlies taking George Lucas at #25 originally, but his stock is falling, also I think we have more pressing needs, but if someone gave us a good offer for courtney lee or jeff green that let us move up in the draft and gave us a late first early 2nd and he was on the board and robert upshaw wasnt and cameron payne wasnt, then ya, go for it.

[jman3134]

Cam Payne is just an absolute perfect fit off the bench. He is a score first weapon who can hit shots in traffic and distribute the ball. He played alongside decent post options (albeit undersized) and is just the best player available from 16+ imo.

[Zordor]

Post Lottery Predictions
1 Timberwolves - Karl Anthony Towns C - They go versatile over great post play
2 Lakers- Jahlil Okafor C - I think personally this is a reach, but could be a solid Center in the League
3 76ers - D’Angelo Russell SG/PG - they go with option MCW 2.0
4 Knicks- Emmanuel Mundaiy PG - solid point guard, I expect them to trade down for Kaminsky and other compensation
5 Magic- Kristaps Porzingis PF - bit of a reach, but they dont need the others
6 Kings - Willie Cauley-Stein C - should work well next to Boogie
7 Nuggets - Mario Hezonja SG - they love those foreign guys
8 Pistons - Justise Winslow SF - Draft stock has been dropping
9 Hornets - Stanley Johnson SF - solid stretch, hornets smart to take him here
10 Heat - Kelly Oubre Jr SF - solid long term guy who can take the role of Deng in the long term
11 Pacers -Frank Kaminsky C-Pacers could do much worse than Kaminsky here,would not be surprised if trade with knicks for Mudaiy
12 Jazz -Kevon Looney PF - I fully expect Jazz to trade this pick, but looney wouldnt be a bad backup to favors
13 Suns -Myles Turner PF/C - Can contribute right away, some say he should be higher, others lower, Suns take him after no Kaminsky
14 Thunder - Sam Dekker SF - If Durant is going to be hurt or worse, leave via FA, then Dekker could be the glue that holds it together
15 Hawks -Devin Booker SG - Hawks get almost a steal with Booker at 15, can fit in their system well
16 Celtics -Robert Upshaw C - Celtics take a chance on Upshaw despite off court concerns to have an above rim defender
17 Bucks - Trey Lyles PF - Could be a solid contributor for the bucks moving forward, even in a bigman heavy roster
18 Wizards -Bobby Portis PF - Long term solution to the aging NENE and a solid player off the bench first few years
19 Rockets -Jerian Grant PG - Rockets are in desperate need of a backup point, they could do worse than grant
20 Raptors- Rondae Hollis-Jefferson SG - Look for the raptors to target moving Terrance Ross this offseason
21 Mavericks- RJ Hunter SG - Could be a steal at 21 or a bust, but at 21 its worth the chance
22 Bulls-Cameron Payne PG - gives the Bulls another backup point with Rose having a history of injuries
23 Trailblazers- Montrezl Harrell PF - Many ways the Blazers could go, but no Aldrige forces their hand, even if he is undersized
24 Cavaliers -Tyus Jones PG - Kyrie can always take a solid backup option and Jones will give a spark off the bench
25 Grizzlies - Justin Anderson SF - The grizzlies are a grind it out team like UVA and are in need of athleticism and 3s in the worst way
26 Spurs - Rashad Vaughn SG - with Green/Bellinelli as FA...
27 Lakers - Delon Wright PG - Lakers will still need a decent point guard, clarkson has flourished, but could always use another option
28 Celtics - Terry Roizer III PG - With Smart looking the part of starter going forward, Celtics still reach for Roizer, but could pay off
29 Nets - Christian Wood PF - Wood is extremely underrated and with a team that needs help in the worst way, Wood is a good project
30 Golden State - Norman Powell SG - GS doesnt have any pressing needs, powell makes for an even more deadly transition game

[jman3134]

Justin Anderson is an elite athlete. With that said, his shooting stroke is a bit of a question mark, despite his ridiculous %'s this season. I'm not sure he is the answer to our shooting difficulties.

[Zordor]

Oddly enough him breaking his pinkie has helped fix his outside shot a bit , I think he hit 22/25 at the combine on open 3 and he is a GREAT contested shooting player , he was like 18/25 contested and he is like z bo , he likes to touch bodies on the way to the rim , that's one of his hidden strengths is pulling up and shooting in traffic , if we leave this draft without Payne , Anderson , wood , Portis, upshaw or Jaieth I'm going to be disappointed , I'd like to target trading stokes and a second for an early 2nd rounder or one of those players

[Zordor]

Anderson will be a rotational player because he isn't a 3 point specialist but if you look at what grizzlies are looking for they want a slashing 3 point shooter who can play decent defense and that's Anderson , that's why I think they also target Ross when he hits the trade market inevitably this summer, 3-D and athleticism , can't do much else , but solid off the bench piece

[SD2042]

Some predictions of my own.

1 Timberwolves - C Jahlil Okafor He gives the Wolves the option to replace Pekovic at center. Also should makea tag team partner with Gorgui Dieng as he is well equipped to play on both ends of the ball and is adequate enough to cover Okafor's defensive short comings and can be mentor by KG.

2 Lakers- C Karl Anthony Towns- He gives the Lakers an good option at center as they continue to rebuild their foundation. Sources say they will look to do a quickie on rebuilds and go FAs to solve their issues. Word of advice: Quickies do not lead to complete satisfaction long term.

3 76ers -SG/PG D’Angelo Russell - combo guard and scorer the Sixers need to acquire. Just hope he doesn't become Reece Gaines 2.0

4 Knicks- C Willie Cauley-Stein -With the Knicks rumored to be going after Greg Monroe hard, I'm thinking the Knicks will look to acquire a center to cover Monroe's defensive short comings by adding WCS to the fold. Provides rebounding and defense like Tyson Chandler. Will need to work on offensive development.

5 Magic- SF Justise Winslow - If Tobias Harris stays with the Magic, trade the pick for Myles Turner if possible. If not, Winslow is likely who the Magic may covet to replace Harris at the SF position. Athleticism, defense, and solid offense is what Winslow will be bringing to the table.

6 Kings - PF Kristaps Porzingis -Kings need a PF in the worse way. KP has the offensive potential to cause some damage in the league. Defensively he gets by on his athleticism and needs to improve his strength and fundamentals. He's 19 with lots of potential. Profiles a poor man's Dirk Nowitzki/solid Detlef Schrempf.

7 Nuggets - PG Emmanual Mudiay With Ty Lawson likely to be traded any day. The Nuggets are likely to blowup the roster for keeps and start rebuilding by going for a PG for the future in Mudiay who has a NBA ready acumen skills at PG. Will need to hone his offensive skills and curb his TOs tendencies.

8 Pistons - PF Frank Kaminsky- SVG likes stretch fours. Kaminsky fits that to a T. Good three point shooter. Can rebound. And is a decent defender. Can provide a problem as a center on offense if necessary.

9 Hornets -SF Stanley Johnson A SF Charlotte needs for athleticism and 3 point shooting purposes. Something Charlotte has a severe issue over. If Johnson is drafted here. Could mark the end of MKG in Charlotte?

10 Heat - SG/SF Mario Hezonja - His offense is solid as he is a capable ball handler and 3 point shooter. He's also effective in transition offense and iso ball. Although he's a scrappy defender, he's not the best fundamentally sound defender as well.

11 Pacers -Myles Turner PF/C Indy can use a PF like Turner to eventually replace David West at the PF spot. They could also look to trade the pick as well. Likely to Orlando for Justise Winslow as he could make the best fit next to Paul Goerge to supplant the lost of Lance Stephenson.

12 Jazz - PF Kevon Looney- blue collar player. does the necessary things to help teams win games with defense, spreading the floor offensively with 3 point shooting to mid range jumpers to slashing to the post.

13 Suns - SG Devin Booker- Booker gives the Suns prolific shooting to keep the defense honest.

14 Thunder - Sam Dekker SF - Dekker should provide the Thunder adequate backup to KD with energy, hustle and offensive contributions.

15 Hawks -PF/C Bobby Portis- can provide the Hawks with decent mid range shooting and rebounding. Can plug up the center position if the Hawks happen to lose Pero Antic or if Paul Milsap gets lure away with a better offer from another team.

16 Celtics - Potentially trade up from this spot. PF Trey Lyles is a perimeter oriented PF who can make the defense respect the threat that he poses. He's a solid rebounder and an average/subpar defender at times. Profiles Carlos Boozer with better height.

17 Bucks - SF Kelly Oubre Jr. Can provide the Thunder some hustle plays on offense. Effective in transition and is a decent defender as well. Quick shooter from beyond the arc. Will not hesitate to take the shot.

18 Wizards - C Robert Upshaw Upshaw comes with baggage. With raw talent perhaps the Wizards feel the need to take a risk. His post defense and blocking abilities can come in handy to replace Kevin Serephin who desires to play for another squad who will give him a chance to start.

19 Rockets -PG Jerian Grant The Rockets need help at the PG position as they have two PGs at 37 and 38 yrs of age and Patrick Beverley who may not return to the Rox. They get younger by drafting Grant who can provide the set up for the Rockets to get their players in position to get their shots.

20 Raptors- SF Rondae Hollis-Jefferson- add athleticism and defense to the Raps frontcourt as they need to upgrade from Terrence Ross. Will need to work on jumpshots to better his offense.

21 Mavericks- PG Tyus Jones- The Mavs offensive schemes may be deem a good fit for Jones who looks for his teammates to set them up for shots. Suggests good court vision. Very quick in transition. A reliable perimeter shooter. Average defender needs to improve his strength so when he drives to the post he won't shied too much from contact and be able to live at the line when necessary.

22 Bulls- PG Cameron Payne Unlike Tyler Ennis, maybe the Bulls will have the sense to keep a PG they need this time around rather than trade off like they did with Ennis last summer's draft. Payne's scoring ability should help the Bulls backcourt out if and when D.Rose injuries may arise once again.

23 Trailblazers- SG R.J. Hunter R.J. is known for his scoring ability in and around the perimeter. He can prove a valuable weapon for the Blazers to utilize at the SG position. Defense is subpar and needs work. Profiles Kevin Martin. Also keeping in mind the conundrum the Blazers are currently going through with the LMA issue of whether or not he will remain a Blazers along with FAs' RoLo, Wes Matthews(sans injury).

24 Cavaliers - PF Montrezl Harrell This is a player who gets by with athleticism and determination. He would be the type of player fans would cheer for as he would come in and do the dirty work from rebounding, making the extra plays, defend the bigger guys, and put backs on offenses. Profiles Jerome Williams/Malik Rose/Kenneth Faried

25 Grizzlies - PF Christian Wood This guy reminds me of a potential project like how Z-Bo and Jermaine O'Neal were from their days in Portland. He has the tools to be an effective PF in the future. Very athletic, good perimeter shooter(stretch 4 type) blocks shots, has potential to play post defense and be a more effective defender. Will need development(concerns due to Grizzlies history at developing talent) so he's likely a project at age 19.

26 Spurs - Possibly trade this pick. PF Jordan Mickey Athletic and is a tweener at this stage. Will be or good use defensively at SF/PF Has the quickness to play defense against quicker SFs and stretch PFs who make their living on the perimeter.

27 Lakers - Delon Wright PG Very tall PG at 6'5. Very good defender who can deter smaller guards from getting a shot off against him. Can play SG defensively if and when necessary. Can get his teammates set up for shots. Very athletic and is effective in transition. Good slasher, but will need to work on perimeter shooting and technique and cut down the TOs.

28 Celtics - potentially trade up the draft. SG Rashad Vaughn. Provides scoring and slashing. better help defender than one on one defender.

29 Nets - SF Justin Anderson Very athletic and has the 3 and D mentality.

30 Golden State - SG Andrew Harrison Combo PG/SG player. When games are good he can get teammates involve to get the shots necessary. He also a solid scorer who can create for himself and can create contact as well. Will need to get his temper in check and not let issues get the better of him. Distractions can prove costly at the wrong time.

[Zordor]

Very interesting take , some of these definitely make sense and without koufos I think our best option is a stretch 5 like Christian wood , Kevon looney or bobby Portis , I'd love to get justin Anderson just because I think he would be a great guy on our wing rotation , but I really like take

[SD2042]

Let's say if the Grizzlies do draft a SF at 25. Will Joerger be willing to give the rookie some minutes or will he likely have the rookie go to D-Leagues and play some leftover minutes in the games?

[Zordor]

If its RHJ or RJ Hunter then its D-League for like 2-3 years, if its Anderson or Vezenkov then I think he steadily gets more rotation minutes, probably starts in the D-League a game or two and i bet adams does too to build their chemistry on the floor and might play a game or two more if another wing is hot, but mainly TA takes less minutes (22-25 a game starts and finishes games), Lee takes less minutes (25-28 a game (starts games, and optional finisher)), Green takes less minutes (18-22 a game (22-25 if he plays PF a bit)) carter gets almost nothing to nothing (0-7) and adams and pick get some steady minutes (10-12 per game each perhaps) just see how that would probably pan out since Joeger probably wont be much more generous and I would think Conley and Marc will have 35 minutes each , and with the growth of Russ along with udrih getting some minutes, probably limit Z-bo to 30 minutes a game as he ages, add in a backup PF/C for some minutes and you end up with about how the rotation would have to pan out. Now when it comes to Playoff time though it would depend on how everyone was doing, but id expect Joeger to stay with trend and give vets more minutes. Reason I think Vezenkov and Anderson get burn is Anderson has athleticism, high vertical, good defense, and good 3 point shooting. Vezenkov has length, not the greatest ball handler, but he can thread the needle through a passing lane, which is great for getting it to our bigs, and he also knocks down the 3 ball (does so great on the catch and shoot less than a second from pass to shot), but has an uncanny ability to poke rebounds back up until he or a teammate gets it, he isnt great at driving the lane, but both guys are threats and give us something we dont currently have on the offensive end at their positions.
Anderson - 3, defense, athleticism NBA Equivalent Iman Shumpert
Vezekov - fast release 3, Rebounding, Length NBA Equivalent Anthony Bennet
RHJ - Best Defender in draft, slasher , athletic, NBA Equivalent MKG with slightly better defense
RJ Hunter- Good overall shooter, Gem or bust, NBA Equivalent Danny Green

[SD2042]

If its RHJ or RJ Hunter then its D-League for like 2-3 years, if its Anderson or Vezenkov then I think he steadily gets more rotation minutes, probably starts in the D-League a game or two and i bet adams does too to build their chemistry on the floor and might play a game or two more if another wing is hot, but mainly TA takes less minutes (22-25 a game starts and finishes games), Lee takes less minutes (25-28 a game (starts games, and optional finisher)), Green takes less minutes (18-22 a game (22-25 if he plays PF a bit)) carter gets almost nothing to nothing (0-7) and adams and pick get some steady minutes (10-12 per game each perhaps) just see how that would probably pan out since Joeger probably wont be much more generous and I would think Conley and Marc will have 35 minutes each , and with the growth of Russ along with udrih getting some minutes, probably limit Z-bo to 30 minutes a game as he ages, add in a backup PF/C for some minutes and you end up with about how the rotation would have to pan out. Now when it comes to Playoff time though it would depend on how everyone was doing, but id expect Joeger to stay with trend and give vets more minutes. Reason I think Vezenkov and Anderson get burn is Anderson has athleticism, high vertical, good defense, and good 3 point shooting. Vezenkov has length, not the greatest ball handler, but he can thread the needle through a passing lane, which is great for getting it to our bigs, and he also knocks down the 3 ball (does so great on the catch and shoot less than a second from pass to shot), but has an uncanny ability to poke rebounds back up until he or a teammate gets it, he isnt great at driving the lane, but both guys are threats and give us something we dont currently have on the offensive end at their positions.
Anderson - 3, defense, athleticism NBA Equivalent Iman Shumpert
Vezekov - fast release 3, Rebounding, Length NBA Equivalent Anthony Bennet
RHJ - Best Defender in draft, slasher , athletic, NBA Equivalent MKG with slightly better defense
RJ Hunter- Good overall shooter, Gem or bust, NBA Equivalent Danny Green

Vezekov the equivalent of Bennett? Throw him back into the sea. RHJ is one of the guys I have as a possibility for the Grizzlies to go after alongside Christian Wood. Here's another possible angle that Wallace could partake in.

Trading the 25th pick and go into the second round for an option or two. If he goes down this road, who would be the likely target?

[Zordor]

I have a feeling memphis is gonna trade back into the 2nd round, I think Leur and Stokes will be on the trade block, Leur has an advantage in that he is more useful to us, Stokes has advantage with age and that I recently found out he and Jordan Adams were friends before coming to Memphis and played AU basketball together on the same team at some time (crazy how stuff works out right) . Who would Memphis Target? I think they look to make a draft night trade, maybe not as crazy as the one some propose with OKC (though its not far fetched) , but I am banking that memphis trades a player or two and tries to pick up a couple late 2nd rounders, which actually might not be incredibly crazy in this particular draft, they are targeting Josh Richardson out of UT and have another guy they are going to try out here soon, Josh is ranked mid 60s right now on draft boards and the other rumoured player is supposed to be around the late 40 to early 50 range, even though they might not see the light of day, if Joeger can strengthen the team and bring in a couple guys to sit in reserve and learn from VC, TA, and ZBo while we have them, I wouldnt mind as long as he makes sure we are championship ready next year.

[No-Man]

Memphis should go SF or C, at this point the only SF that might be there at 25 are Anderson and Dekker, the Cs are up in the air, Jaiteh, Hernangomez, Dakari Johnson, Milutinov, even Upshaw.

[Zordor]

It'd be hard for me to choose between dekker , Anderson and upshaw if they were
all still on the board which I doubt, but saying that I actually have an intuition dekker will be on the Grizzlies next year as a draft day deal because he is best friends with Jordan Adams and is a natural SF , plus Memphis is targeting josh Richardson out of UT and so might ask for a late second tagged onto the trade especially if it's the hawks who have some late seconds they can give up

[SD2042]

It'd be hard for me to choose between dekker , Anderson and upshaw if they were
all still on the board which I doubt, but saying that I actually have an intuition dekker will be on the Grizzlies next year as a draft day deal because he is best friends with Jordan Adams and is a natural SF , plus Memphis is targeting josh Richardson out of UT and so might ask for a late second tagged onto the trade especially if it's the hawks who have some late seconds they can give up

Dekker is a jack of all trades type of player who will do whatever is necessary to help teams win games. I would not mind him for a Grizzly, but I have my suspicions that he will get picked up by the Thunder in the draft. Also, I didn't know Dekker and Adams are best friends. First it was Jarnell Stokes, now it's Dekker.

Memphis should go SF or C, at this point the only SF that might be there at 25 are Anderson and Dekker, the Cs are up in the air, Jaiteh, Hernangomez, Dakari Johnson, Milutinov, even Upshaw.

If the Grizzlies were to acquire a couple of second picks, I can see it being used on a SF who may be utilize on the roster and the other pick likely a draft and stash. As for who could the Grizzlies can target for the SF position, I'm looking at a couple of guys:

Timothe Luwawu- http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Tim ... awu-68219/
Daniel Diez- http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Daniel-Diez-6180/
Nedim Buza- http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Nedim-Buza-46607/

[Zordor]

Always thought luwawu was very underrated, don't I would that he would ever start on a team , but he is going to be a solid rotational player in the league

[SD2042]

Always thought luwawu was very underrated, don't I would that he would ever start on a team , but he is going to be a solid rotational player in the league

I agree with underrated. I think he has the opportunity to create some havoc in the rotation via slashing, decent three point shooting and is a solid defender. If he's place on the right team, he should be effective.