It's been one week since Duke knocked off Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament championship game to give Mike Krzyzewski his fifth career national title. With another college basketball season in the books, we now have a full body of work to evaluate the top prospects entering the NBA Draft in June.
Meanwhile, the 76ers wrap up their season on Wednesday. They currently have the third-worst record in the NBA, meaning they have the third-best odds of getting the first pick in the draft.
There's been a growing sentiment lately that the 76ers should pass on Jahlil Okafor or Karl-Anthony Towns if they end up with one of the first two picks. People in that camp believe that since the 76ers already have Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, there is no need to draft another big man. I couldn't disagree more with that logic. You take the best player available. Sure, Noel made tremendous strides this season. But no one can be sure at this point whether he's a franchise-altering type of player.
Embiid has all the potential in the world. But he's only been playing basketball for four years and has already had major back and foot injuries. Embiid has a chance to be great if he's able to stay healthy. That's a big if.
The bottom line is this -- you don't lose 125 games over two seasons to pass on elite talent. And Okafor and Towns have separated themselves from the rest of the 2015 Draft class as the two elite prospects. If the 76ers end up with one of the first two picks, they should draft Okafor or Towns then decide if all three big men can play together or whether a trade is necessary to add an elite perimeter player.
In any case, here are the Top 10 prospects in the 2015 NBA draft.
1. Jahlil Okafor, 6-11/270, center, Duke
Okafor was the top prospect on my list back in November and nothing has happened since then to change my mind. Towns has closed the gap considerably, but to me Okafor is still the best player in this draft. 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 10-15 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 pick and rolls, 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 as a freshman at Duke on 66 percent shooting. 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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2. Karl-Anthony Towns, 6-11/250, forward, 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 better 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 far superior 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 two weeks ago in 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 of the Irish.
3. Justise Winslow, 6-6/225, forward, Duke
Winslow helped his stock tremendously in the NCAA Tournament. He is the prototypical NBA small forward in size and skill set, and he is also a very good defender. Winslow scored in double figures in each of Duke's last five tournament games, including 21 points against Utah in the Sweet 16 and 21 points against Michigan State in the national semifinals. He averaged 14.3 points and 9.3 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament while shooting better than 57 percent from three-point range.
If the odds hold and the 76ers end up with the third pick, Sam Hinkie would be wise to take Winslow. He's a tremendous athlete who defends well, traits Hinkie has valued in his previous two drafts.
4. D'Angelo Russell, 6-5/180, guard, Ohio State
Russell is my top-ranked point guard in the 2015 draft, narrowly edging Emmanuel Mudiay. I've been high on Russell the last few months, but his 3-for-19 performance against Arizona in the NCAA Tournament left a bad taste in my mouth. Of course, Russell's entire freshman season at Ohio State far outweighs one bad game. He finished the season with averages of 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals. Russell also shot 45 percent from the field and 41 percent from three-point territory.
Russell did it all in college and will do it all in the NBA too. He can play point guard and will be able to play off the ball as well. Russell should develop into an All-Star caliber player at the pro level.
5. Emmanuel Mudiay, 6-5/190, guard, China
Much like Dante Exum last year, Mudiay is the mystery man of this year's draft. There is more extensive background information available on Mudiay than Exum because Mudiay played his high school basketball in Texas. Mudiay committed to play his college ball at SMU but following some eligibility issues he eventually made the decision to play professionally in China. An ankle injury limited Mudiay to just 12 games in China, where he averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists.
Mudiay has been compared favorably to John Wall and even Derrick Rose. Time will tell if he's capable of winning a NBA MVP award, but it's a safer bet that he will play in a couple All-Star games.
6. Stanley Johnson, 6-7/245, forward, Arizona
Johnson's freshman season at Arizona was inconsistent -- spectacular at times but underwhelming at others. He scored just six points on 2 of 4 shooting in Arizona's loss to Wisconsin in the NCAA tournament. Johnson managed just four points on 1 of 12 shooting in his showdown with Russell and Ohio State in the second round of the tournament. But he did finish the season as Arizona's leading scorer at 13.8 points per game while also averaging 6.5 rebounds.
I'm not sold on Johnson, but his potential will make him a high-end lottery pick.
7. Montrezl Harrell, 6-8/240, forward, 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.
8. Willie Cauley-Stein, 7-0/240, center, Kentucky
Cauley-Stein has drawn comparisons to fellow Kentucky product Nerlens Noel. He has a 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 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.
Cauley-Stein will be a Top-10 pick thanks to his size and defensive ability. But it will take considerable time and patience before he develops into an adequate offensive player.
9. Devin Booker, 6-6/205, guard, Kentucky
I'm much higher on Booker than most. I see a lot of Klay Thompson in Booker. He has the label of being "just a shooter," but he will be a much more well-rounded player in the NBA. Booker didn't start for Kentucky's star-studded 38-1 team and played just 21 minutes per game. But he used his time on the floor wisely, averaging 10 points per game and shooting 41 percent from long range. Booker can also put the ball on the floor and get to the basket. He takes a backseat to nobody in this draft in terms of offensive ability.
Booker will most likely be drafted in the 15-20 range of the first round. I say he'll be one of the best 10 players in this draft class.
10. Sam Dekker, 6-9/220, forward, Wisconsin
Dekker went from a likely second-round pick (or returning to college for his senior season) to a potential lottery pick thanks to an outstanding showing in the NCAA Tournament. He averaged 17.5 points in six tournament games, shooting 57 percent from the field and 42 percent from three-point territory. Dekker has great size and deceptive athleticism. His ability to stretch the floor is coveted in the NBA.
In the right situation, Dekker could have a career similar to Gordon Hayward of the Jazz. The two are nearly identical in size, skills and athleticism.