With this year’s draft being so juicy, you almost feel bad for peeking at the talent of the 2015 draft. But once you do, it’s hard to stop, as the high school kids made a hell of a splash this year.
Here is a quick take on six of them, just to get us started.
“The Anchor”
Jahlil Okafor – 6′ 10.75″ height. 7′ 5″ wingspan. 272 lbs. Born in 1995. Center.
When Okafor was emerging on to the scene he was often compared to his distant cousin, Emeka Okafor. Being compared to the 2nd pick of 2004 draft, once the face of a new franchise, does Jahlil a disservice these days. That’s how good he is now. A man the size of a bear, Okafor’s hands make the ball seem like an orange, yet his touch around the rim is as graceful as it gets. He has an array of post moves and counter moves that could make a coach wonder about the state of the game, about how these days the post-up play is rendered almost irrelevant, at least as a primary scoring option. Is it gone for good? Or were we just waiting for this guy?
Okafor is extremely efficient on the block, and was pretty much unstoppable in the U19 championship, dismantling the helpless competition (finishing with a whopping 77.2% from the field). Put him in an NBA game right now and he will command a double-team. That’s unheard of. If we held the 2015 draft today he would be all but a lock to go 1st. He would be a strong candidate in this year’s crop of players as well. Okafor is going to Duke, along with his good friend PG Tyus Jones (more on him later), and the scouts will keep an eye on his physical condition. If he could get close to his playing weight in the upcoming year, it would be big for him. The NBA is ruthless to big guys coming in. With that said, many feel that Okafor has all the ingredients to be a franchise guy, including yours truly.
“The Spark”
Emmanuel Mudiay – 6′ 5″. 6′ 8.5″ wingspan. 200 lbs. 1996. PG.
In this era of great dominant point guards, having a strong, skilled floor general is a big key to success. Mudiay fits the bill as the next guy in line, and projected to be off the board fairly quickly should he be eligible for the 2015 draft. Emmanuel has a very different road to stardom than most. He came with his family to the US from the Democratic Republic of the Congo as it was facing civil war, right after his father passed away. Growing up in Texas, he made a name for himself as the top point guard in his class, and he is just oozing with natural talent.
Mudiay is silky smooth in the open floor on the high-school level, showing awesome court vision to go with crisp decision making on the fly. In the half-court setting he is a blur. His ballhandling allows him to get wherever he wants, and he is selflessness makes him a joy to play with (and watch, for that matter). Trying to translate a high-school/college player’s game to the pros is like trying to guess how a talented swimmer in the kiddy-pool would do in the ocean. Mudiay personifies that challenge. He has great physical tools and amazing body control. But is he made from the same mold as Russell Westbrook, John Wall and Derrick Rose? Is he the “I’m gonna blow by you/bully you/jump over you and you’ll just sit there and take it” type? I think not.
He is explosive enough to get to the paint, and he has a knack for finishing through contact, but his athleticism is not elite. His jump shot is a bit suspicious as well, but he has very strong work ethic and he is already showing improvement. He is a good kid in general, a religious, grounded guy. He recently committed to nearby SMU to join his brother and play under Coach Larry Brown, but he decided Monday to play professionally overseas for a year.
“Emmanuel Mudiay has decided to pursue professional basketball opportunities,” Brown said in a statement. “This is not an academic issue, since he has been admitted to SMU, but rather a hardship issue,” Brown said in a statement. “After talking to Emmanuel, I know he really wants to alleviate some of the challenges his family faces and recognizes that he has an opportunity to help them now. While I believe that college is the best way to prepare for life and the NBA, Emmanuel’s situation is unique. We were excited about having him at SMU, but we understand this decision and wish him the best.”
“The Bad Guy”
Mario Hezonja –6′ 7″. Decent wingspan. 220 lbs. 1995. SG-SF.
In a way, Hezonja is the dream prospect – so much to love wrapped up with so much to cringe at. Playing for FC Barcelona, one of the very best in Europe, the Croat has a hard time cracking the rotation. When he does, usually on the occasional blowout, it can be spectacular. Super-Mario is long considered one of the best talents in Europe and is a guy NBA scouts are keeping a close look at for years now.
MVP in the U16 championship in 2011, his resume is too long and impressive to lay out here. His game seems built for the NBA – a fluid athlete with great scoring instincts and feel for the game. Hezonja will blow you away with his finesse and creativity with the rock in his hands. The game comes easy to him. His shot is a thing of beauty: fluent, flawless mechanics with great arc. It remains consistent on ‘catch and shoots’ and ‘off the dribble’. He is crafty in P&R as he is in isolation, often finding the crack to feed the roller when he is not finishing himself.
Long limbed, Standing at 6′ 7″, he looks the part of an NBA wing. Trying to fit his game to the NBA is a why a person becomes a scout. With Mario, the “buts” are in the mental side of things. A border line “head-case” as a youngster, it seems that growing as a person was not as smooth sailing as developing his game. He would often be frustrated with his teammates, referees, coaches and himself, displaying the ever dreaded “poor body language”. The thing is, there is a fire in him, as Maciej Lampe phrased it when asked about his young teammate. In a lot of cases that kind of perfectionism and competitive nature that makes an athlete great can look really bad coming from a teenager. His older teammates rave about his work ethic and his endless questions. He seems to understand where his abilities should eventually take him. I’m in on the kid, if it wasn’t clear.
“The Wild Card”
Kelly Oubre – 6′ 6.5″. 7′ 2″ wingspan. 204 lbs. 1995. SF.
Kelly Oubre is a relatively new prospect in the 2015 draft. The skinny lefty out of Findlay Prep is a late bloomer, as much as that’s’ possible for a kid who’s 18 years old. This past year, his game and focus started catching up with his physical gifts, and he is only scratching the surface of his potential. Those physical gifts alone make scouts’ mouth water –an explosive athlete with an eagle-like 7′ 2″ wingspan, which makes him a potential game changer on defense from the wing positions.
He does have his work cut out for him, but he could be as good as he wants to be on that end. On offense he is still a work in progress, but shows great upside with his bursting first step and very good body control, though he is still very dependent on his strong hand. His shot is also coming along. He is a nightmare to contain in transition, feeling the lanes, finishing above the rim.
Oubre chose Kansas out of a huge pile of scholarship offers, and immediately triggered comparisons to Andrew Wiggins, now a former Jayhawk. When you hear him talk, Kelly seems to be very positive, hardworking, team-first guy, but you are left wondering – does he even know? Does he have any idea how good he can be? Knowing is the first step, and I’m not sure Coach Bill Self is the guy to let him in on the secret. Self’s offensive system singlehandedly neutered both Wiggins and Joel Embiid, two of the sure-fire top 3 in this year’s draft. Self’s offense is almost the equivalent of Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim’s zone in the sense that it tells us very little about the individual players playing it. It is actually holding them back from developing.
Given that, along with Oubre’s progress overall, I would have to assume that it would take him quite some time before he can contribute on the NBA floor. He’s talent alone might be too great to pass up, however.
“The Rock”
Stanley Johnson – 6′ 7″. 6′ 11″ wingspan. 237 lbs. 1996. SF.
In contrast to Oubre’s untapped upside, Stanley Johnson might be the most sure bet out of this group. Johnson’s body is NBA-ready. His attitude and maturity may also be on the same level. The Arizona commit is a great defender (can guard 1-4 at the college level), extremely hardworking and a competitive guy overall. Those qualities translate to minutes very quickly in the league. He has the tools and mindset to be a stopper as a pro, which is rare, especially at his tender age (just turned 18).
Johnson is versatile on offense, but has yet to fully develop go-to-moves on the perimeter. He is also a very gifted athlete and a good, willing passer. His shot may need a tweak, as his release point is a bit low right now. But again, he has a very strong work ethic, and is very tough, high character and mature person. Expect him to in live in the gym and get closer and closer to fulfilling his potential every day. Make no mistake, when you draft him, you are drafting a starter for the next 10 years. As of now, coming into next year, if he can became a major part of the Wildcats’ offense there is no telling how high he can go in the draft.
“The Brain”
Tyus Jones – 6′ 1.25″. 6′ 3″ wingspan. 184 lbs. 1996. PG.
Jones is the purest point-guard of the bunch. Every draft class needs one. As his measurements hint, he is not physically overwhelming as some of the others guys, so his game is relaying on outthinking his opponents. He’s good at it, too.
Brilliant basketball mind, combined with a great accuracy and sense of timing, Jones will find if you are open. That’s his calling card. As a scoring threat, he’s making encouraging steps – being more aggressive, developing a floater (which will become his new best friend in the NBA, land of the giants) and shooting the ball better. His shooting is going to be huge for him – it’s hard to be a pass-first guy if the defense is not worried about you on the perimeter. Just ask Rubio or Rondo.
He is very different from those two, not nearly the athlete or defender as them, and also you expect his shot to catch up eventually (87% from the line is a good indicator). The question with Jones is what happens when the other nine guys on the court are bigger and better. He is projected to have a harder time getting by his man. But on the other hand his superb pick and roll game should shine with better teammates. On defense – life will tough as he will go up against the maniacal competition filled with bigger and more athletic ball-handlers. If he can manage to keep his head above the water and not be a huge minus on that end, it will be enough to keep him on the floor.
Committing to Duke with his good friend Okafor should do wonders for both. Another great prospect joining the Blue Devils is Justise Winslow, have you noticed all the “Mini-Decisions” going around lately? It’s not just Kentucky anymore. Anyway, Jones has a unique connection with Okafor on the floor, and I expect both their draft stocks to benefit. Obviously, Jones will have more room to climb up than his big man.
Oren Levi is a 27 die-hard NBA fan, and an amateur scout and writer. Follow him on Twitter.
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