My top-20 big board for anybody who cares. I will finish out the top-30 in the next couple of days, fwiw.
White Chocolate's 2015 NBA Draft Big Board
1. Karl-Anthony Towns
Towns has a nice outside jumper as well as a post game. A better defender than Okafor, he averaged 2.3 BPG in a little over 21 minutes a game. He had the best defensive rating in the whole NCAA with a 78.1 rating. Just an all-around good player with good size for a big man, when he gets going he is really hard to stop.
2. D'Angelo Russell
Big-time scorer as a freshman, averaging 19.3 PPG in a little under 34 minutes a game. Really was the only reason Ohio St. was a good team this year. Russell has great size for a point guard and decent size for a shooting guard (same size as Harden). He shot 41% from three with 6.6 attempts a game this year.
3. Jahlil Okafor
The best low-post scorer in the draft with Towns as a close second. Okafor was 2nd in the entire NCAA shooting 66.4% from the field, no question he can score the ball. The reason he isn't #1 is because of his defense, he needs to get quicker on his feet and get in better shape or else he will get scored on a lot in the league.
4. Emmanuel Mudiay
Mudiay is the Exum of the draft this year, it's hard to tell how good of a player he could be at the next level because of the talent level he plays against. He was the #5 recruit in the nation before deciding to go overseas. He has legit size for a point guard at 6'5, is very fast with the ball, and has great athleticism for a guard.
5. Justise Winslow
One of the players who helped their stock during the tournament. Winslow can be the ultimate 3 and D player that teams need, he can finish in traffic as well. He has good size for a small forward at 6'7 and plays with a high motor. He shot 41.8% from three with 2.8 attempts a game, he also rebounds very well.
6. Mario Hezonja
I love his confidence, once again it is hard to compare the talent that he plays against, but he plays for one of the best teams in Europe. At 6'8 he will be a big shooting guard in the league. Hezonja is very athletic and he can score very well. He shot 40.6% from three with 3.6 attempts a game, so he can shoot the ball.
7. Kristaps Porzingis
I have seen Porzingis in the top-5 of some people's big board's and I have seen him in the latter part of the top-10. Another one of the international players in the top-10, he is very young only 19 and has great size at 6'11-7'0. He likely would have been a lottery pick last year, but decided to withdraw his name for this year.
8. Stanley Johnson
Johnson has a NBA ready body and I think he has the potential to be a great defender in the league. He does a little bit of everything, he is the 2nd best small forward in the draft behind Winslow. He is a great athlete as well and could develop into a 3 and D guy, he could end up being a steal depending on where he goes.
9. Willie Cauley-Stein
Cauley-Stein was one of my favorite players to watch this year. He was one of the best defenders in college basketball, a legit 7'0 who was guarding guards and forwards. With the recent success of Gobert and Whiteside on the defensive end, I think he can be an instant contributor at the next leve and teams will love him.
10. Frank Kaminsky
The best player in college basketball this year, the downside is that he was a senior and is 22 years old. Can be the ultimate stretch four for teams that are looking for one. Kaminsky handles the ball very well for a big man, rebounds, and can shoot the three. His defense is questionable, but no doubt could he be a contributor.
11. Kelly Oubre
Oubre has the potential to be a pretty good 3 and D player. He is a good rebounder for his size and has shown the ability to shoot the ball. He shot 36% from three on almost 100 attempts and averaged over a steal a game in 21 minutes. Has good size to be a small forward, is pretty athletic, and is a good defender as well.
12. Trey Lyles
At 6'10, Lyles has legit size to be a power forward in the league. He averaged 8.7 PPG and 5.2 RPG in 23 minutes a game on a loaded Kentucky team. Only 19 years old, he has a lot of potential. He made four threes this year so the potential is there, he does have a nice mid-range shot, and he shot 74% from the free-throw line.
13. Bobby Portis
The SEC player of the year, very impressive, but most of Kentucky's players played around 22-23 minutes a game where as Portis played 30. Never the less he is 6'11, averaged 17.5 PPG and 8.9 RPG and did go 14-30 from three. He also shot 74% from the line, averaged 1.4 BPG, and was 1st in the SEC in offensive rebounds.
14. Myles Turner
In only 22.2 minutes a game, Turner averaged 2.6 BPG, good enough to lead the Big 12. He also lead the Big 12 in defensive rating with a 86.3 rating. Shot 84% from the free-throw line and also made 17 threes this year. Has legit size to be a center at 6'11-7'0, has a nice touch on his jumper, is a good defender, and the potential is there.
15. Kris Dunn
With the combine and workouts, Dunn will rise up draft boards. Behind Russell and Mudiay he is the next best point guard available. He was 3rd in the nation in assists with 7.5 per game and averaged 2.7 steals a game on top of all of that he scored 15.6 PPG. Turnovers are a problem, but he is athletic, can score the ball, and can improve on them.
16. Kevon Looney
Looney played a lot as a freshman with just under 31 minutes a game, he is 6'9, but he also is really thin. He did average 11.6 PPG and 9.2 RPG, also shot 22-53 from three good enough for 42%. He has a lot of potential because he has shown the ability to shoot the ball at his size and he does a little bit of everything.
17. Jakob Poeltl
Poeltl's stock soared because of the tournament, but he is a legit 7'0 and has nice touch around the rim. He shot 68% from the field and grabbed almost 7 rebounds a game in a little over 23 minutes. He did shoot 44% from the free-throw line, but he rebounds and finishes around the basket with a high percentage.
18. Devin Booker
Booker might be the best shooter in the entire draft. He shot 41% from three with over 140 attempts and averaged 10 points a game in a little over 21 minutes a game. He has good for a shooting guard at 6'6, we know he is a pure shooter, but can he do more than that is the question and we will find out.
19. Sam Dekker
Along with Poeltl, Dekker helped his stock mightily in the tournament. He is a streaky shooter and does a little bit of everything. More of a polished player, but he is a junior and needs to work on his ball-handling. He is a guy who can come in right away and give quality minutes, but his potential is not nearly as high as these other players.
20. Tyus Jones
Is he just another Burke or Napier? He also benefited from a nice tournament, but he did average 11.8 PPG and 5.6 APG with almost two steals a game in 34 minutes. At 6'1 he isn't the ideal size for a point guard, but he can score the ball and distribute it as well. A team in the mid-teens could fall in love with him.
I think the players at 5-9 are interchangeable and I had a hard time deciding where to put them. Also, these look to be the consensus top-10 prospects as of now, but we know that will change with the combine as well as workouts. The Jazz are locked in at #12, it would be awesome to get any of these top-10 guys somehow whether we trade up or if one of them falls. I had the hardest time deciding where to put Looney and Poeltl because I have seen both in the 10-14 range. My big board will change in the coming weeks, but if we don't move up the players from 11-20 are who we will most likely be looking at. There is always the possibility of someone in the top-10 falling of course. A lot of these guys are interchangeable, there are some players with a lot of potential and some players who can come in and contribute right away.