NBA Draft Frenzy: Redrafting the 2015 NBA Draft

Date: June 20, 2017

By: Matt Ambrose

The 2015 NBA Draft. One that was very top-heavy. Only one player selected below 13th overall is included in this redraft. In the players' defense, they have only had two years to prove themselves in this league. Some have taken advantage of their time and have been instant producers, while others have taken a little bit longer to hit their stride.

1. 1. Minnesota Timberwolves- Karl-Anthony Towns (Original Selection: Karl-Anthony Towns)
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3. Slam. Dunk. Towns has been fantastic in just two years in Minnesota. He leads his entire draft class in a bevy of major statistical categories, such as games played, minutes per game, points per game, rebounds per game, and win shares. He has yet to miss a game in his career, and won the Rookie of the Year in 2015-2016 after averaging 18.3 PPG and 10.5 RPG. He got even better this past season, putting up 25.1 PPG and 12.3 RPG. He's not just the best player in this draft, he's one of the best players in the NBA.
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5. 2. Los Angeles Lakers- Kristaps Porzingis (Original Selection: D'Angelo Russell)

Porzingis' original slot: Fourth overall

Zinger. Porzingod. The Unicorn. Call him what you want, he's legit. After coming into the league with much scrutiny, he has proven all of his doubters wrong by averaging 16.1 PPG in his career. He has become a star in New York, and all of the Knicks fans who were booing him on draft night two years ago are now chanting his name inside Madison Square Garden.

3. 3. Philadelphia 76ers- Devin Booker (Original Selection: Jahlil Okafor)

Booker's original slot: 13th overall

This guy seemingly came out of nowhere. He flew under the radar coming out of Kentucky, and had a good rookie year averaging 13.8 PPG. This past season, however, his game went to more than the next level. He became a dynamic scorer for Phoenix, averaging 22.1 PPG, including a 70-point barrage against the Boston Celtics back on March 24th. With Booker on the Sixers in this redraft, that team could look very different right now.

4. 4. New York Knicks- Myles Turner (Original Selection: Kristaps Porzingis)

Turner's original slot: 11th overall

Turner is another guy who has flown under the radar his whole career. After averaging just over 10 PPG in his rookie year, he received more playing time this past season as he averaged 14.5 PPG and 7.2 RPG. He has provided the Indiana Pacers with a solid young player in the post, someone they hope to build around. Porzingis is someone who has lit up New York, but in this redraft, they end up with the next best big man in this draft.

5. 5. Orlando Magic- Jahlil Okafor (Original Selection: Mario Hezonja)

Okafor's original slot: Third overall

This may have been a better fit for Okafor, looking at his time in Philadelphia so far. After averaging over 17 points per game in his rookie year, Okafor saw his playing time decrease last season, seeing seven minutes per game come off from his season average. With Okafor in Orlando paired with Nikola Vucevic, they could have formed a dangerous frontcourt tandem for a team that hasn't made the playoffs since the 2011-2012 season.

6. 6. Sacramento Kings- D'Angelo Russell (Original Selection: Willie Cauley-Stein)

Russell's original slot: Second overall

At the time of this selection, I was scratching my head. They already had DeMarcus Cousins, so why did they need another big man like Cauley-Stein. Now, they obviously didn't have the opportunity to take Russell, who went second overall, but this time around they give Cousins an actual facilitator on offense in Russell. In 63 games last year, he was able to put up 15.6 PPG and averaged 4.8 APG on a bad team. Now Cousins is no longer in Sacramento, but if Russell was around, it may have been smoother sailing for the Kings.

7. 7. Denver Nuggets- Emmanuel Mudiay (Original Selection: Emmanuel Mudiay)
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No other player available fit the Nuggets needs better than Mudiay did. They didn't need a big man with the addition of Nikola Jokic the season before. The Nuggets began to address their backcourt needs in 2015, and it started with Mudiay. His numbers don't jump off the page at you, as he is averaging 12 PPG and 4.8 APG in his first two NBA seasons, but the Nuggets will be looking for more from him paired in the backcourt with Jamal Murray in years to come.

8. 8. Detroit Pistons- Willie Cauley-Stein (Original Selection: Stanley Johnson)

Cauley-Stein's original slot: Sixth overall

When you look at Cauley-Stein's numbers as a whole, they aren't very impressive. 7.6 PPG, 4.9 RPG in his first two seasons. However, his true production level was uncovered after he got a chance to start consistently with Sacramento after the DeMarcus Cousins trade. He started 21 games down the stretch of the year after the Cousins deal, and in those games he averaged 13.1 PPG and 8.8 RPG. He proved that he can be a reliable big man in this league, and his play in those 21 games are why he remains in the top-10.

9. 9. Charlotte Hornets- Justise Winslow (Original Selection: Frank Kaminsky)

Winslow's original slot: 10th overall

This is where this draft starts to get a little thin. Justice Winslow came off the bench mostly in his rookie year, averaging just over six points per game. He found his way into the starting five going into this past season, though his season was cut to just 18 games due to multiple injuries. In those 18 games, he did average 10.9 PPG. Given his athleticism, he can be a productive player in this league. He just needs to consistently stay on the floor.

10. 10. Miami Heat- Josh Richardson (Original Selection: Justise Winslow)

Richardson's original slot: 40th overall

Richardson ends up with the same team that eventually drafted him in this redraft. Richardson went 40th overall in 2015 to the Heat, and found his way into the starting lineup 34 times this past season. He averaged 10.2 PPG in the 54 games he appeared in this year, proving that this once-unknown guard out of Tennessee is a legit player in the NBA.

Matt Ambrose is a journalism major from Exeter, N.H. and an Assistant Sports Director at 89.5 FM WSOU. He can be found on Twitter @mambrose97 and can be reached by e-mail at matthew.ambrose1@student.shu.edu.

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