Winner & Losers of the 2015 NBA Draft
Minnesota Timberwolves - Winner
The Wolves took the best player in the draft. Karl-Anthony Towns from Kentucky makes the Wolves the real winner even before they made their next section. Towns comes to the league with a ton of upside and very little downside. You can't ask for much more than that from a Rookie. Tyus Jones from Duke not only won a National Championship with the Blue Devils, but he was coached by Coach K. Jones went on to hit big shots throughout his colligate career. Jones probably won't end up as an elite point guard, but as a backup to Ricky Rubio, he will help the Wolves and Andrew Wiggins tremendously.
Miami Heat - Winner
The Heat come away from the draft with the steal of the night. Justise Winslow from Duke. Winslow slide down to no. 10 when many thought he could go to the Knicks with the 4th overall pick. He is a great fit for the Heat and gives them plenty of insurance in case Luol Deng does not return and of course for future seasons. With his NBA-ready body, his relentless style of play he has potential to become an All-Star.
Indiana Pacers - Losers
The Pacers were hoping that defensive specialist Willie Cauley-Stein would slip until the 13th pick. There was talk of this especially due to his recent injury. The Kings ruined Indiana's dream and scooped up the big man from Kentucky with the No. 6 selection. Plan B for the Pacers should have been the PG and possibly the biggest riser amongst team draft boards during the process, Cameron Payne from Murray State. The Pacers have been talking about getting a "real" point guard for quite some time and it seems like George Hill is always on the trade block. Instead, the Pacers walk away with the big man from Texas with upside. Myles Turner is NOT NBA ready right now, and is at least a few years away, if he gets there. With the return of Paul George, the Pacers should have gone after a piece to help them go into win now mode.
Philadelphia 76ers - Losers
The 76ers came away with one of the best players in the draft. The low-post mastermind with the skillset of an old-school center. Jahlil Okafor makes the basketball look like an orange in his hand. The problem is they drafted two centers in the previous two drafts (Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel). Embiid hasn't played even a second and his status for this season is still up in the air because of injury. Now it seems like the 76ers are just experimenting drafting who they thought was the best player available (Doesn't fit a need), at least he wasn't injured. Normally this isn't a problem but it is when they are all the same position. The real loser here is actually Jahlil Okafor. Don't be surprised if they trade him after winning ROY. Just kidding…they already did that with MCW.
By Steven Spector - 6-26-15
