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The Minnesota Timberwolves have made University of Kentucky freshman Karl-Anthony Towns the first pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, ending weeks of speculation.
A star in his first year at the University of Kentucky, Towns averaged 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in only 21.1 minutes per game.
This looks to be the perfect pick for the lowly Timberwolves.
Minnesota were last in the NBA last season for defensive efficiency and protecting the rim. Considering Towns ranks as the best defender in the draft since 2010 by a range of draft experts, he should slot straight into the Timberwolves starting line up.
Despite not playing in the playoffs for 11 straight years, this marks the first time in Timberwolves franchise history that they have held the first pick in the draft. They do, however, now have three number one picks – with Anthony Wiggins (this season’s NBA rookie of the year) and Anthony Bennett – on the roster.
This marks the third time in the common draft era (1966) that Kentucky will boast the first overall pick. They are the first school to reach that mark, with all three of Kentucky’s first picks coming since 2010.
The draft is still full of intrigue, with the Lakers and the Knicks picking in the top five together for the first time since 1979.
Jahlil Okafor and D’Angelo Russell headline the remaining prospects, while Kristaps Porzingis (Lithuania) and Mario Hezonja (Croatia) headline the international prospects.
Number two pick: The Los Angeles Lakers have taken Ohio State point guard D’Angelo Russell with the second pick of the NBA Draft. Russell is only the third freshman in NCAA history to average 19 PPG, 5 RPG and 5 APG, and becomes only the second player in Ohio State history to be taken in the top two (Greg Oden in 2007).
Number three pick: Duke centre Jahlil Okafor is the third pick, adding to the big man stockpile for the Philadelphia 76ers. A beast on the low block, Okafor led all players in post-up points in his freshman year. Okafor was the likely first pick early in the year, before Towns took the spot.
Number four pick: The New York Knicks have selected Kristaps Porzingis with the fourth pick. An unpopular pick with the local crowd, the selection was met with a chorus of boos. Porzingis is the first international pick in this draft, and some experts have him with the most upside in this draft class.
The Knicks, who beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first game of the season, crashed to rank last in points in the paint overall.
Number five pick: The Orlando Magic have selected Croatian Mario Hezonja with the fifth pick. Ranked as the best shooter in the draft, Hezonja will add to the young backcourt in Orlando. Hezonja is the first Croatian picked in the top 10, and this marks just the third time two international players have featured in the first five picks.
Number six pick: The Sacramento Kings have selected Kentucky’s Willie Cauley-Stein with the sixth pick. Another elite defender out of Kentucky, Cauley-Stein was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2014-15. With explosive athleticism, the Kings will be hoping to combine Cauley-Stein with DeMarcus Cousins for the foreseeable future, and aim at getting him to become an All-Defensive enforcer.
Number seven pick: The Denver Nuggets have selected Emmanuel Mudiay with the seventh pick in the draft. Mudiay becomes the second player in draft history to go from high school to overseas to first-round draft pick (Brandon Jennings in 2009). A 6’5 point guard, Mudiay is a big man who can get to the rim at will.
Number eight pick: The Detroit Pistons have selected Arizona’s Stanley Johnson with the eighth pick. A touted wing player who won four California State Championship’s in high school, Johnson is a physical presence who gets it done on both ends of the floor. The Pistons had the least productive small forwards in the league last season, so Johnson could be starting on opening night.
Number nine pick: The Charlotte Hornets have taken Wisconsin’s’ Frank Kaminsky III with the ninth pick. The reigning Wooden Award winner (and the most efficient scorer in the country), Kaminsky joins a Hornets side that ranked last in three point shooting last season. Kaminsky is the oldest man drafted so far at 22 years of age.
Number ten pick: The Miami Heat have selected Duke’s Justise Winslow with the 10th pick in the NBA Draft. Winslow was not expected to fall this far in the draft, so the Heat have stolen a very good player. Winslow was a key player in Duke’s championship run, and he should be a first-up starter for the Heat in 2015-16.
11: Indiana Pacers – Myles Turner, C, Texas
12: Utah Jazz – Trey Lyles, PF, Kentucky
13: Phoenix Suns – Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky
14: Oklahoma City Thunder – Cameron Payne, PG, Murray State
15: Atlanta Hawks – Kelly Oubre Jr., SF, Kansas (Traded to Washington)
16: Boston Celtics – Terry Rozier, PG, Louisville
17: Milwaukee Bucks – Rashad Vaughn, SG, UNLV
18: Houston Rockets – Sam Dekker, SF, Wisconsin
19: Washington Wizards – Jerian Grant, PG, Notre Dame (Traded to New York via Atlanta)
20: Toronto Raptors – Delon Wright, PG, Utah
21: Dallas Mavericks – Justin Anderson, SF, Virginia
22: Chicago Bulls – Bobby Portis, SF, Arkansas
23: Portland Trail Blazers – Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona
24: Cleveland Cavaliers – Tyus Jones, PG, Duke* (traded)
25: Memphis Grizzlies – Jarell Martin, PF, LSU
26: San Antonio Spurs – Nikola Milutinov, C, Serbia
27: Los Angeles Lakers – Larry Nance Jr., PF, Wyoming
28: Boston Celtics – R.J. Hunter, SG, Georgia State
29: Brooklyn Nets – Chris McCullough, PF, Syracuse
30: Golden State Warriors – Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA
More to come.
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