Draft week is finally here!
The 2015 NBA Draft is almost here, and everyone is now putting the finishing touches on their mock drafts. ESPN's Chad Ford has his final mock projection for all 60 picks.
As he's predicted most of the offseason, Ford has Kentucky Wildcats freshman Karl-Anthony Towns going No. 1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves. He's gotten the edge over Duke's Jahlil Okafor since March, and Ford isn't changing it up with draft week now here.
Why they take him: He's the most complete player in the draft. He has the potential to be dominant on both ends of the ball. He's a modern big who can play and defend multiple positions and should be a great fit in Minnesota. With so few weaknesses, it's hard to see him fail.
Why they pass: I don't think they will, but if they do, Flip Saunders felt that Jahlil Okafor's old-school game was more suited to his coaching style, or he decided to give up on Ricky Rubio and wanted a point guard like D'Angelo Russell to replace him.
As for Okafor, it's pretty much a given he's going No. 2 to the Los Angeles Lakers. Another Wildcat isn't selected until Devin Booker to the Miami Heat at No. 10:
Why they take him: With the Heat's two targets -- Frank Kaminsky and Stanley Johnson -- both off the board, Booker might be the next best option. Booker could add some much-needed shooting to the backcourt and with Dwyane Wade threatening to look elsewhere, a 2-guard might turn into a need.
Why they pass: Willie Cauley-Stein is still on the board and the talent might just be too much to pass on. Myles Turner is another option if they want a big sort of like Kaminsky, just three years behind. Sam Dekker might actually turn out to be better than Johnson. The Heat sold this pick to a team willing to take back the remaining $17 million on Josh McRoberts' deal.
The rest of Ford's lottery projections feature Trey Lyles to the Utah Jazz and Willie Cauley-Stein to the Phoenix Suns. As for the other Cats, Dakari Johnson goes 40th to Miami and Andrew Harrison goes 45th to Phoenix, but Aaron Harrison does not get drafted.