We conclude our position previews with a look at the top five big men in the 2015 NBA draft. We're lumping power forwards and centers together, and some of these prospects will play both positions in the NBA. This potentially is a great crop of post players. It starts at the top with a pair of prospects that have all the tools to develop into perennial All-Stars on the pro level.
We've already covered the top five point guards, shooting guards and small forwards in the draft.
Let's get to the big men.
1. Jahlil Okafor, 6-11/270, Duke
I'm holding strong with Okafor as my top-rated prospect in the 2015 NBA draft. It's not the popular opinion in the weeks leading up to the draft; most analysts and experts have Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns at the top of their draft boards. Towns most likely will be the first name called on draft night once the Timberwolves go on the clock, but I believe Okafor will have the better NBA career.
Okafor is only 19 but has the offensive skills of a 10-year NBA veteran. He has a wide range of post moves with his back to the basket, and can also face up and knock down the 10-to-15-foot jump shot. Okafor is also a tremendously-gifted passer — he's very good at spotting the open man when he's double-teamed, a skill that will be utilized often in the NBA.
He gets knocked for his defense but that can be overstated at times. While he will struggle defending the pick and roll, he is an adequate rim protector and puts forth a quality effort on the defensive end. The biggest issue with Okafor is his free throw shooting — he shot just 51 percent from the foul line this past season at Duke.
His defensive issues and foul shooting aside, Okafor's offense is too good to pass up. He averaged 17.3 points on 66 percent shooting as a freshman at Duke, leading the Blue Devils to the national title. He could have dominated far more often, but sacrificed individual numbers for team success. NBA scouts and executives notice that as well.
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Draft projection: Okafor will be a top-four pick, with his most likely landing spot being the Lakers at No. 2.
2. Karl-Anthony Towns, 6-11/250, Kentucky
Towns came on strong in the second half of the regular season and in the NCAA Tournament for Kentucky. He isn't as polished offensively as Okafor, but he is a more explosive athlete and a far superior defender. That's not to say Towns is a slouch offensively — he averaged 10.3 points in just 21 minutes per game as a freshman. He's also a much better foul shooter than Okafor. Towns shot 81 percent from the free throw line.
To borrow a popular phrase this time of year, Towns has the most "upside" of any player in this draft. That was on full display in Kentucky's two-point win over Notre Dame in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. Towns scored 25 points in 25 minutes on 10 of 13 shooting from the field and 5 of 6 shooting from the foul line. Seventeen of Towns' 25 points came in the second half, when Kentucky kept feeding him in the post in an effort to hold off the Irish. That performance erased any doubt that Towns is capable of being a dominant offensive player on the pro level.
Draft projection: Towns will be a top-two pick, and it's very likely he goes first overall to the Timberwolves.
3. Willie Cauley-Stein, 7-0/240, Kentucky
Cauley-Stein has drawn comparisons to fellow Kentucky product Nerlens Noel. He has a slightly more solid build than Noel and is equally talented as a rim protector and finisher in the paint. But Cauley-Stein has miles to go in terms of developing his offensive game. He averaged just 8.9 points in 25.9 minutes per game as a junior at Kentucky. Cauley-Stein scored just two points on 1 of 4 shooting in Kentucky's loss to Wisconsin in the national semifinals. He has the tendency to disappear on the offensive end and doesn't bring much to the table if he's not getting dunks or scoring in transition.
Draft projection: Cauley-Stein will be a mid-to-low-end lottery pick, somewhere in the 7-13 range.
4. Frank Kaminsky, 7-1/230, Wisconsin
Kaminsky won every major national player of the year award last season at Wisconsin. He averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting better than 54 percent from the field. He also connected on an impressive 41 percent of his three-point attempts. Kaminsky was an incredibly efficient offensive player in college — he is an excellent shooter for a big man and has great footwork and touch around the basket.
There were doubts throughout his college career about how effective he could be at the NBA level. Kaminsky quieted any doubts I had with his performance against Kentucky in the Final Four, scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds against a frontline brimming with future NBA players. He followed that up with 21 points and 12 rebounds against Okafor in the national championship game.
Kaminsky can play in the NBA. He may not be a star, but he'll be a valuable member of someone's rotation.
Draft projection: Kaminsky will be a mid-first-round pick, most likely in the 10-17 range.
5. Montrezl Harrell, 6-8/240, Louisville
Harrell's numbers as a junior at Louisville were impressive. He averaged 15.7 points and 9.2 rebounds and shot 57 percent from the field. But he hurt his team and his draft stock by trying to prove to NBA scouts that he is capable of making perimeter jump shots. Harrell's bread and butter is using his athleticism in the lane and in transition. The perimeter jump shot may come with time, but it's not an efficient tool for him at this point. Harrell shot just 24 percent from three-point range this past season. To his credit, he stopped shooting threes late in the season rather than continuing to force the issue.
Harrell has the type of physical skills NBA executives look for, but those skills don't automatically translate to a successful pro career. Harrell will have a lot of work to do after he gets into the league.
Draft projection: Harrell will be a mid-to-late first-round pick, somewhere in the 15-22 range.