The 2015 NBA Draft soon will begin in New York, and it’s an exciting time for all 30 teams.
This year’s draft class is deep and full of talent at every position. The Boston Celtics are in a solid spot to acquire a few good players or package their surplus of picks to improve their position in Round 1. They have four selections, including Nos. 16 and 28 in the first round, as well as the third pick in Round 2.
Here’s the complete order of selection for both rounds. Each pick will be filled in with the player chosen and a quick analysis of each prospect as soon as announced.
First Round
1) Minnesota Timberwolves:Â Karl-Anthony Towns, Center, Kentucky
Towns is an elite center prospect who can shoot, score in the low post and defend at a high level. He also has incredible athleticism and great size at 6-foot-11 and 250 pounds.
2) Los Angeles Lakers: D’Angelo Russell, PG/SG, Ohio State
Instead of taking Duke center Jahlil Okafor, the Lakers decided to select the best guard available in Russell. He’s a combo guard with excellent size and length, and he can score in a variety of ways. He has a consistent outside shot and enough explosiveness to penetrate defenses and finish at the rim.
3) Philadelphia 76ers: Jahlil Okafor, Center, Duke
Okafor is a quality low-post scorer with great size and the ability to rebound at a high level. He has a lot of room for improvement on the defensive end of the floor, though.
4) New York Knicks: Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C, Latvia
Porzingis has excellent size at 7-1, 220 pounds and spreads the floor with an excellent outside shot. He needs to add strength, but he’s the ideal frontcourt player for today’s NBA.
5) Orlando Magic: Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Croatia
Hezonja is a fantastic scorer with enough athleticism and length to guard both wing positions.
6) Sacramento Kings: Willie Cauley-Stein, Center, Kentucky
Cauley-Stein has an improved mid-range jumper, but other than that, he’s very limited offensively. However, he’s a force on the defensive end with his excellent rebounding and shot-blocking ability. Cauley-Stein also has plenty of athleticism, but past injuries are a bit of a concern. A high-risk, high-reward pick for Sacramento.
7) Denver Nuggets: Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, Congo
Mudiay is an excellent scorer with great size at 6-5, 190 pounds. He’s also an above-average playmaker with the ability to effectively run the pick-and-roll.
8) Detroit Pistons: Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona
Johnson isn’t an explosive scorer, but he’s an athletic wing who runs the floor well and already has NBA-size.
9) Charlotte Hornets: Frank Kaminsky, Center, Wisconsin
Kaminsky adds size and low-post scoring to a Hornets team lacking in both areas. He doesn’t have elite potential, but he projects to be a solid, fundamentally strong player at the NBA level.
10) Miami Heat: Justise Winslow, SG/SF, Duke
Winslow was one of the best wing players in this draft, and that’s a position Miami desperately needed to address. He can score and defend at multiple positions and is a smart player. It’s a real surprise he fell to this spot.
11) Indiana Pacers: Myles Turner, PF/C, Texas
Turner is an NBA-ready frontcourt player with a good low-post offensive game and the ability to consistently rebound and block shots.
12) Utah Jazz:Â Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
Lyles is a back-to-the-basket power forward with a good low-post offensive game and above-average interior defense.
13) Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
Booker is one of the best outside shooters in this draft and has pretty good size for a shooting guard.
14) Oklahoma City Thunder:Â Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
Payne is a quality leader with a high basketball IQ and a consistent outside shot. He’ll be a quality backup for superstar point guard Russell Westbrook.
15) Washington Wizards (traded from Atlanta): Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas
Oubre uses great athleticism and length to defend very well on the perimeter and on the low block. He also has an improved outside shot with range that should extend to the 3-point line in the NBA.
16) Boston Celtics:Â Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville
Rozier wasn’t expected to be drafted this high, but he’s a quality playmaker as a pass-first point guard.
17) Milwaukee Bucks: Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV
Vaughn has 3-point range and the strength to battle in the paint for rebounds.
18) Houston Rockets: Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
Dekker is an athletic forward with good size and excellent shooting range.
19) New York Knicks (traded from Washington): Jerian Grant, PG/SG, Notre Dame
Grant is a combo guard with good floor vision and excellent defensive instincts. He should be able to provide the Knicks with playmaking and scoring off the bench.
20) Toronto Raptors: Delon Wright, PG, Utah
Wright gives Toronto depth, versatility and scoring in the backcourt.
21) Dallas Mavericks: Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia
Anderson is an athletic wing player who defends well and has NBA-caliber strength. He also showed great improvement with his outside shot this season at Virginia.
22) Chicago Bulls: Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas
Portis is a strong, athletic forward who excels defensively and plays with a Kevin Garnett-like intensity at both ends of the floor.
23) Brooklyn Nets (traded from Portland): Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona
Hollis-Jefferson doesn’t have much upside offensively and isn’t a good shooter, but he rebounds and defends at a high level.
24) Minnesota Timberwolves (traded from Cleveland): Tyus Jones, PG, Duke
Jones was the most outstanding player in Duke’s national championship game win over Wisconsin. He has shooting range beyond the 3-point line and is a quality playmaker as a pass-first point guard.
25) Memphis Grizzlies: Jarell Martin, PF, LSU
Martin is undersized, but he uses his strength and impressive work ethic to rebound, defend well in the low post and block shots.
26) San Antonio Spurs: Nikola Milutinov, C, Serbia
Milutinov isn’t likely to play in the NBA next season, but he has good athleticm and strong fundamentals for a center.
27) Los Angeles Lakers: Larry Nance Jr., PF, Wyoming
Nance, similar to his dad, is an athletic forward with tremendous length. He’s also a quality rebounder and shot blocker.
28) Boston Celtics: R.J. Hunter, PG/SG, Georgia State
Hunter will spread the floor and provide much-needed outside shooting for Boston.
29) Brooklyn Nets: Chris McCullough, PF, Syracuse
McCullough will add much-needed size, athleticism and rebounding to the Brooklyn frontcourt.
30) Golden State Warriors: Kevon Looney, SF/PF, UCLA
Looney lacks athleticism and shooting range, but he defends well and uses his length to drive to the basket and finish at the rim.
Second Round
31) Cleveland Cavaliers (from Minnesota): Cedi Osman, PG, Turkey
Tremendous size at 6-foot-6 and above-average playmaking ability.
32) Houston Rockets: Montrezl Harrell, PF, Louisville
Harrell has an excellent work ethic, is a very good rebounder and has an improved mid-range shot.
33) Boston Celtics: Jordan Mickey, PF, LSU
Mickey doesn’t have great size, but he uses his athleticism and length to block shots and defend in the low post.
34) Los Angeles Lakers: Anthony Brown, SG, Stanford
Brown will stretch the floor with range that extends beyond the 3-point line.
35) Philadelphia 76ers:Â Guillermo Hernangomez, C, Spain
Hernangomez has good size at 6-foot-11 with an above-average low-post offensive game.
36) Cleveland Cavaliers (traded from Minnesota): Rakeem Christmas, C, Syracuse
Great size, strength and rebounding best describes Christmas, who’s among the older draft prospects at 24 years old.
37) Philadelphia 76ers: Richaun Holmes, PF, BGSU
Holmes adds even more rebounding and size to a loaded 76ers frontcourt.
38) Detroit Pistons: Darrun Hilliard II, SG, Villanova
Hilliard is a consistent scorer with 3-point range.
39) Brooklyn Nets (traded from Charlotte): Juan Vaulet, SF, Argentina
Vualet is an athletic forward who needs to improve his outside shot to score in the NBA.
40) Miami Heat: Josh Richardson, SG, Tennessee
Richardson is a versatile player who can play both guard positions.
41) Portland Trail Blazers (traded from Brooklyn): Pat Connaughton, SG, Notre Dame
The Arlington, Mass., native is a high-level athlete with good shooting range.
42) Utah Jazz: Olivier Hanlan, PG/SG, Boston College
Hanlan is a very good scorer who plays both guard positions.
43) Indiana Pacers: Joseph Young, SG, Oregon
Young lacks ideal size for a shooting guard, but he converts on a high percentage of his 3-point field goals.
44) Phoenix Suns: Andrew Harrison, PG, Kentucky
Harrison has great size for a point guard at 6-foot-6 and defends the perimeter very well.
45) Boston Celtics:Â Marcus Thornton, SG, William & Mary
Thornton has good length and athleticism with shooting range that extends to the 3-point line.
46) Toronto Raptors (traded from Milwaukee): Norman Powell, SG, UCLA
One of the best shooting guards in the Pac-12 conference last season.
47) Philadelphia 76ers: Arturas Gudaitis, C, Lithuania
Strong, physical center with excellent size.
48) Oklahoma City Thunder:Â Dakari Johnson, C, Kentucky
NBA-caliber size, strength and rebounding ability. He doesn’t have a high ceiling, though, and isn’t likely to improve much from his current skill level.
49) Washington Wizards: Aaron White, PF, Iowa
The Wizards added more size and athleticism to their frontcourt with this selection.
50) Atlanta Hawks:Â Marcus Eriksson, SG, Sweden
Eriksson is a consistent shooter from beyond the arc.
51) Orlando Magic:Â Tyler Harvey, SG, East Washington
One of the best outside shooters in this draft.
52) Dallas Mavericks:Â Satnam Singh Bhamara, C, IMG Academy
He has excellent size at 7-foot-2, 290 pounds.
53) Cleveland Cavaliers: Sir’Dominic Pointer, SF, St. John’s
A versatile wing player for Cleveland’s bench.
54) Utah Jazz: Daniel Diez, SG, Spain
Diez is a strong player with good shooting range.
55) San Antonio Spurs:Â Cady LaLanne, PF, UMass
He might be able to offer the Spurs rim protection at power forward or center.
56) Los Angeles Clippers (traded from New Orleans):Â Branden Dawson, SF, Michigan State
Above-average athleticism and NBA-caliber strength are the most impressive things about Dawson.
57) Denver Nuggets:Â Nikola Radicevic, PG, Serbia
This probably is a long-term project for Denver, which already has enough guards.
58) Philadelphia 76ers:Â J.P. Tokoto, SF, UNC
A long, athletic wing player who could provide an impact defensively.
59) Atlanta Hawks:Â Dimitrios Agravanis, PF, Greece
Additional size and depth for Atlanta’s frontcourt.
60) Philadelphia 76ers: Luka Mitrovic, PF, Serbia
He has the ability to stretch the floor with a consistent outside shot.
Thumbnail photo via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images
