The NBA draft 2015 is one of the most talked about topics in the World of Basketball. This year’s draft is full of talent and diversity as we see great prospects from College Basketball, Other major Basketball leagues around the World and National Basketball players getting drafted into the NBA. Let’s get into the details, shall we.
1.Karl-Anthony Towns, Center, Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves have invested their first pick of the 2015 NBA draft in Karl-Anthony Towns, the 7 Foot Center from the University of Kentucky. He is a Dominican-American Basketball player who was selected for the Dominican national squad when he was just a 16 year old, which just shows how much potential this 19 year old has. He is a highly regarded 2-Way player, in the eyes of NBA scouts, who can contribute solid numbers in both the defensive and offensive ends. He couldn’t have joined Andrew Wiggins and the T-Wolves at a better time, in my opinion, as this would probably be the legendary Kevin Garnet’s last NBA season as a player and he will be able to mentor this young kid and show him what it is like to be playing with the big boys. His great size, interior scoring, passing ability and defensive prowess would be much needed by the Timberwolves who won only 16 out of their 82 regular season games last season and ended up dead last in the Western conference table out of a total of 15 WC teams. Explosive athleticism, offensive consistency and advanced post moves are areas in which he is still a Work-in-Progress. Many believe that if he lives up to expectations he could become an Al-Horford like player.
2.D’Angelo Russell, guard, Los Angeles Lakers
We have a lot of Lakers fans in Sri Lanka; this might interest them very much. With the 2nd pick of the draft, the Los Angeles Lakers picked D’Angelo Russell who played College Basketball for the Ohio state Buck eyes. One of the best features about this guy is that he is a combo-guard who can play both as a Point Guard or a Shooting guard. Although many may question LA’s decision of going with a guard instead of a much needed post player, the management might have realized that a talent like D’Angelo was too good to let pass. With the team nowhere near its former glory, being in rebuilding mode and their All-Star Kobe Bryant not a 100% yet, D’Angelo might just as well use the opportunities that might be available to him, in terms of minutes, to his advantage and who knows- He just might become the next Kobe Bryant, greatness does have a way of rubbing off, you know.
He has a text-book NBA body for a Guard, has the ability to score, good passing skills and also a great deal of swagger which you will be able to observe if you watch his tapes, which is something that is greatly needed in the NBA. All of those attributes could help a rebuilding LA Lakers, who ended up 14th in the Western conference with only 21 wins out of the 82 regular season games which is kind of sad given their history. However this young player will need to work more on being consistent in defence, improve his off-hand and work on his explosiveness. If he does, many of the Lakers fans in Sri Lanka will have a lot to celebrate. Believe me when I say there are a lot of people in this island nation who would bleed purple and gold watching the Lakers win an NBA championship.
3.Jahlil Okafor, center, Philadelphia 76ers
With the 3rd pick of the 2015 NBA draft, the Philadelphia 76ers have picked Jahlil Okafor who many considered to be worthy of being the Number 1 draft pick. He, however, fell behind Karl Anthony Towns due to not performing as well as the latter at the NCCA championships in the last College Basketball season. However there is little doubt that the Former Duke University big man would be coming in all guns blazing this season to prove the doubters wrong and maybe even make a statement to the Lakers for overlooking him. He entered Duke with widespread recognition as the pre-season Collegiate National player of the year and was also the recipient of the High school national player of the year award which goes to show the potential of this young cager. The scouting reports confirm his ability as a very efficient interior scorer. His size and great feel for the game are also positive attributes which will much needed by the Sixers franchise which finished 14th out of 15 Eastern conference teams winning a paltry 18 out of a total of 82 games. However if he truly wants to prove a point in the big scene and become the All-Star he hopes to become one day he will have to work on his defence, shooting stroke and athleticism.
4.Kristaps Porzingis, forward, New York Knicks
The New York Knicks is another franchise that has quite a following in Sri Lanka. Selecting Kristaps Porzingis using their 4th pick was, without a doubt, one of the most controversial moves in the NBA season. When the Latvian Big Man’s name was announced by the commissioner, the whole stadium erupted with loud boos mainly from New York Fans who felt deeply let down by this move by the legendary Phil Jackson, who is the current General Manager of the Knicks. Some even went on social media to lash out at him. Phil Jackson is an 11-Time NBA Champion as a Coach alone. There is a natural prejudice against European players in the minds of the American public who still consider them to be slower and to have lesser skills than their American counterparts. This amount of negative treatment can have a very detrimental effect on a kid who is just 19 years old and is about to play on foreign soil. However Kristaps seems to be fairly confident about himself as it appears in his interviews.
He has a great combination of offensive skill sets- from above the rim dunking ability, great range with his jump shots, and effective post moves. He will however have to work on his defence both individually and as a team player to be an effective part of the Carmelo Anthony led New York Knicks. If he does prove all his doubters wrong he would be able to carry the Knicks into a Playoff berth this season as they ended up an embarrassing 15th out of 15 teams in the Eastern conference last season.
The New York Knicks like the Los Angeles Lakers have a loyal fan base in Sri Lanka and should Kristaps deliver, they will have a lot to celebrate.
5.Mario Hezonja, guard-forward, Orlando Magic
Yet another European is drafted in the NBA in the form of Mario Hezonja, a Croatian 20 year old, who was playing for FC Barcelona since he was a 17 year old. He is a versatile wing player who can play both the Shooting guard and Small Forward positions. He was a part of the Senior Croatian National team which contested at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World cup.
Hezonja has great size for a wing player, excellent shooting ability especially beyond the 3-point arc, has the potential to slash through defence, and does great work at the defensive end. All these attributes will come in handy for the Orlando Magic franchise which ended up 13th in the Eastern conference table. However the Croatian will have to work on his decision making ability on the court, ability to create opportunities for others consistently and focus on his defence if his team is to improve on the 25 wins out of 82 matches they had last season and make their way to the playoffs.
Join us again next week at the ThePapare.com to catch the remaining 5 draft picks and what the implications of their selections would be for the 2015/2016 NBA season. Until then keep Balling.
