NBA Big Board 2.0: Jahlil Okafor tops latest rankings; Cauley-Stein climbs

We know which center is favored to go No. 1, but who are the other two centers in the top five of Chris Mannix's Big Board 2.0?

Author:
Chris Mannix
Publish date:
Jan 14, 2015

Before we get to our latest Big Board, a few quick words on three players who just missed the cut:

• Robert Upshaw, C, Washington: Big, shot-blocking center with some baggage from a lost year at Fresno.

• Chris Walker, PF, Florida: So many physical tools. If he develops any offensive game, look out.

• Cliff Alexander, PF, Kansas: A hyped high schooler whose game is slowly starting to come along. See: Tuesday's dunk against Oklahoma State.

Keep an eye on that trio. All of them could be in the top 20 before the year is out.

Onto the Big Board, my projections of the top 20 prospects for the 2015 NBA draft.

• MORE NBA: SI.com picks starters for 2015 NBA All-Star Game

1. Jahlil Okafor, Duke

C | 6-11, 270 pounds | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 1

Duke’s rough week — which included back-to-back losses to NC State and Miami — did little to hurt Okafor’s standing among NBA executives as the top player in the draft. Okafor followed a 23-point, 12-rebound effort over the Wolfpack with a 15-point, 15-rebound game against Miami. Questions about Okafor’s shaky reputation as a rim protector were (somewhat) answered with four blocks against Boston College and three against the Wolfpack. Said one GM, “It’s going to take something crazy to knock him off the top spot.”

2. Emmanuel Mudiay, China

PG | 6-5, 200 | Age: 18
Last Big Board: No. 3

3. Karl-Anthony Towns, Kentucky

C | 6-11, 250 | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 2

Towns' teammate, Willie Cauley-Stein is the draft’s fastest riser (more on that below) but Towns is considered the more complete prospect. Towns' offense has ticked up since a December dip and scouts rave about his hands and touch around the rim. He’s also an active rebounder and shot blocker, evidenced by his five-blocks against Missouri earlier this week.

4. Stanley Johnson, Arizona

SF | 6-7, 245 | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 4

5. Willie Cauley-Stein, Kentucky

C | 7-0, 240 | Junior
Last Big Board: No. 10

A monster stretch in early December rocketed Cauley-Stein up draft boards, and while he has cooled off since then, teams still rate him among the best big men prospects in the draft. Scouts love his defense, citing his ability to defend the paint and step out and guard on the perimeter. Is he a top-five pick? Teams will be reluctant given his offense has a short ceiling. But he will be ready to play right away.

6. Kristaps Porzingis, Latvia

PF | 6-11, 220 | Age: 19
Last Big Board: No. 5

Porzingis continues to look like a terrific stretch-four prospect. He’s shooting 44.4 percent from three in Eurocup games. Porzingis is fearless, with a quick release that should translate well in the NBA. As noted before, his lack of strength is an issue, and he’s less effective off the dribble and creating contact at the rim. But he’s a high energy player with good defensive instincts and should improve in all areas as he gets stronger.

7. Justise Winslow, Duke

SF | 6-6, 225 | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 7

Winslow missed 5-of-6 three-pointers against NC State and was flat-out awful in Duke’s loss to Miami. Still, he is an explosive athlete who has been reasonably consistent from beyond the arc this season. If Winslow can parlay his ability to score around the rim with a more polished perimeter game, he’s a lock to stay in the top 10.

8. d'angelo Russell, ohio state

SG | 6-5, 180 | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 11

9.

SF | 6-7, 200 | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 16

After a slow start, Oubre has picked up considerably. He scored 20-plus points in two of his last three games in December and scored 14 in a win over No. 24 Oklahoma State this week. Oubre is connecting on 45.9 percent of his three’s and has shown nice defensive instincts playing the passing lanes. Overall, the rapid improvement is encouraging.

10. Mario Hezonja, Croatia

SG | 6-8, 200 | Age: 19
Last Big Board: No. 9

11. Myles Turner, Texas

C | 6-11, 240 | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 8

Inconsistency is a common problem among young players, and Turner is no exception. Some days, like an 18-point, six-rebound effort against Oklahoma State last week, Turner looks like a potential star. Other days, like a four-point, five-rebound effort against No. 16 Oklahoma, he looks like a massive project. The real Turner is somewhere in between, though scouts continue to look for him to succeed against top competition.

12. Kevon Looney, UCLA

PF | 6-9, 220 | Freshman
Last Big Board: No. 6

13. Frank kaminsky, wisconsin

C | 7-0, 242 | Senior
Last Big Board: No. 14

14. Jerian Grant, Notre Dame

PG | 6-5, 202 | Senior
Last Big Board: N/A

Oh look, another Grant has become an NBA prospect. The son of Harvey, the nephew of Horace and the older brother of Sixers forward Jerami, Jerian is a big, athletic playmaker who gets to the foul line and can finish at the rim. He’s on the older side (23) for a college prospect and his three-point shooting has been bad lately. Scouts are eager to see what Grant does against tough ACC defenses over the next month.

15. R.J. Hunter, Georgia State

SG | 6-6, 190 | Junior
Last Big Board: N/A

And a mid-major prospect is on the board! Hunter, the reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year, is putting up some eye-popping numbers. He followed up a 27-point, six-assist effort against Louisiana-Lafayette with 37 points and five assists against Troy. His three-point shooting has plummeted (30.9 percent) but he is a prolific shooter (8.5 attempts per game), so that number could rise quickly. There’s a lot to like here.

16. Tyrone Wallace, Cal

PG | 6-5, 200 | Junior
Last Big Board: N/A

17.

SG | 6-6, 227 | Junior
Last Big Board: N/A

Like most at Virginia, Anderson can defend. It’s his shooting that has stunned NBA scouts. Anderson is connecting on 55.7 percent of his three-pointers, up from 29.4 percent last season. He knocked down two in a win over No. 13 Notre Dame last week and three more in a subsequent win over Clemson. His mid-range game is a weakness — he’s making only 33.3 percent of his two-point jumpers — and he’s making a ho-hum 62.4 percent of his shots at the rim. But good defense and three-point shooting will keep you in the mid-first round mix.

18. Caris LeVert, michigan

SG | 6-7, 200 | Junior
Last Big Board: No. 17

LeVert has not been able to pull Michigan out of mediocrity, but his three-point shooting continues to appeal to NBA teams. His mid-range game has been awful (32.6 percent on two-point jumpers) but he is solid at the rim (74.3 percent) and some scouts say the fact that he draws so much attention on the floor needs to be taken into account.

19. Montrezl harrell, louisville

PF | 6-8, 240 | Junior
Last Big Board: No. 13

Harrell has looked average in a couple of big opportunities. He scored nine points in a high-profile matchup against Kentucky (and Willie Cauley-Stein) last month and had nine against No. 18 North Carolina two weeks later. Said one scout, “With a body like that, he needs to be like Ben Wallace. He’s not.”