Banking on a career like no other last night at Brooklyn’s Barclay’s Center, last years top class of college kids and such graduated to NBA men as the new stars of the leagues future.
But in the 2015 NBA Draft who choose who?
With their first, first pick in the NBA Draft the Minnesota Timberwolves selected Karl Anthony-Towns from the University of Kentucky…one of seven Wildcats from last years almost unbeatable squad in this years draft. Although this is the first time Minnesota have had a number one pick, Towns joins the Twin-Cities stars of the future and the last two drafts top, number one picks. Last years Rookie Of The Year Andrew Wiggins and Anthony Bennett acquired from a 2014 Draft Day trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kevin Love. This Wolf Pack leader with some mentoring from Minny legend Kevin Garnett will form a great partnership with last years top Rookie and sophomore stud as these faces help Minnesota become the franchise of the future.
Minneapolis’ former team the Los Angeles Lakers also made a splash in the draft as they didn’t end up choosing Jahil Okafor with their second selection (he was picked bronze by Philly who now add a formidable frontline of too many big men in the form of their last couple of picks in Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid) and highest draft lottery win since the Big Game of 1982 when they selected legend James Worthy, who was in attendance on helping hand. Instead talented Ohio State Buckeye and defence voodoo D’Angelo Russell was in play like the Vanguard. With prizes for the crispest suit in candy red and white, who from the 60’s would have thought the Lakers future would be called Russell? The talented guard brings his averages of 23.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks to the purple and gold Staple and also gives Kobe’s Lakers a big-three for the future alongside last years rookie surprise Jordan Clarkson and the return from injury big-man Julius Randle (so long as they don’t trade three future faces away for one star). The Lakers may have also selected another late, round sleeper by picking the son of former NBA player Larry Nance. With all this and the upcoming free-agent market looking more open for guys like Trailblazing, Portland departed LaMarcus Aldridge and their former draft choice Marc Gasol (who they once traded for brother Pau) it looks like Showtime is back in Hollywood.
In other picks the Knicks went bold and fourth taking talented international import Kristaps Porzingis to finally give Phil Jackson’s team a big-man. Whether the owners decision to attend a Lady Gaga concert during Draft week work will be a crazy choice remains to be seen. Will it be a Poker Face one, or just another Bad Romance for the beloved Big Apple city of Madison Square Garden basketball in need of some world famous ‘Melo assisting Mecca? More Nuggets came with Denver who managed to swoop in with the seventh pick for star-stud with overseas experience Emmanuel Mudiay, who could be this years steal. Just like the Houston Rockets selection of Sam Dekker with the 18th pick. His Wisconsin Badgers teammate Frank ‘The Tank’ Kaminsky rolled into Charlotte with the ninth pick as owner Michael Jordan won his battle with former coach Phil Jackson for one of last years best college stars and stories.
More chapters will be made from these kids careers as they set forth their journeys into the next big stage of their bright futures. Who will boom and bust remains to be seen, but this explosion of talent gives us a big-budget, blockbuster draft that we haven’t seen the likes of in years.
Here’s how they all panned out…
1 Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C
2 D’Angelo Russell, PG/SG
3 Jahlil Okafor, C
4 Kristaps Porzingis, PF
5 Mario Hezonja, SG/SF
6 Willie Cauley-Stein, C
7 Emmanuel Mudiay, PG
8 Stanley Johnson, SF
9 Frank Kaminsky, SF/PF
10 Justise Winslow, SF
11 Myles Turner, C
12 Trey Lyles, PF
13 Devin Booker, SG
14 Cameron Payne, PG
15 Kelly Oubre, SF
16 Terry Rozier, PG/SG
17 Rashad Vaughn, SG
18 Sam Dekker, SF
19 Jerian Grant, PG/SG
20 Delon Wright, PG
21 Justin Anderson, SF
22 Bobby Portis, PF
23 Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF
24 Tyus Jones, PG
25 Jarell Martin, PF
26 Nikola Milutinov, C
27 Larry Nance, PF
28 R.J. Hunter, SG
29 Chris McCullough, PF
30 Kevon Looney, SF/PF
Good luck young guns. The NBA world is yours. This is your time!
