2015 NBA Predictions – Draft Recap: Top 5 Biggest Losers

2015 NBA Predictions – Draft Recap: Top 5 Biggest Losers: While the NBA Draft offers every franchise hope for the future, the unfortunate truth is that not every team comes away with a quality prospect. In fact, some teams will end up drafting players that make little to no impact. Here is a closer look at the teams that struck out during the 2015 NBA Draft.

2015 NBA Predictions – Draft Recap: Top 5 Biggest Losers of the 2015 NBA Draft

1. Philadelphia 76ers

Taking Jahlil Okafor with the No. 3 pick was by no means a bad move. The guy should be an offensive force in the post. The problem is that the four most talented players for 76ers are now all big men. Philadelphia desperately needs backcourt talent, and after selecting Okafor, the 76ers spent draft pick after draft pick choosing foreign big men, and they will be lucky if even one is able to reach the NBA one day. General manager Sam Hinkie preaches building through the draft, but following yet another high lottery pick, this team is still no closer to be anything other than a doormat.

2. Detroit Pistons

Detroit grabbed forward Stanley Johnson with the No. 8 pick, and while Johnson comes with an NBA-ready frame and solid two-way potential, but he didn’t really address the Pistons’ need for outside shooting. Worse yet, Johnson is basically just an athletically inferior and less skilled version of Justise Winslow, a top-five talent that somehow slipped all the way to No. 10. Johnson should develop into a solid rotation player, and maybe even a starter. However, Detroit isn’t much better in the short term having added him, and long term, they will likely regret passing on Winslow.

3. Charlotte Hornets

Michael Jordan was the best player in NBA history, but drafting players just isn’t his forte. Coming into the draft, it was no secret that the Hornets had their eyes on Frank Kaminsky. While he isn’t necessarily a bad prospect, he is basically the same type of stretch big man as the recently acquired Spencer Hawes. Worse yet, Charlotte seemed so set on Kaminsky that they were willing to pass on Justise Winslow and reportedly rejected a deal with Boston that would have sent them six picks, including four first-rounders. Kaminsky was a bit of reach as the No. 9 pick, and it’s unbelievable that the Hornets wanted him so badly that they were willing to pass up a basket full of picks.

4. Memphis Grizzlies

Armed with only the No. 25 pick, the Grizzlies had just one chance to add a useful player, and Jarrell Martin was an odd selection. He is a plus athlete, but he is essentially an undersized power forward that doesn’t have the range to play small forward, especially in the NBA. Worse yet, Memphis has repeatedly faltered in the postseason because of a lack of perimeter firepower, and at the very least, they could have opted for a sharpshooter that could come off the bench and help space the floor a bit.

5. San Antonio Spurs

Keep in mind that I am strictly grading San Antonio’s draft and not the team’s long-term plans. The Spurs are hoping to lure LaMarcus Aldridge in free agency and sign Kawhi Leonard to a max deal while keeping their veteran intact, so they weren’t looking to address any immediate needs with their picks. However, they seemed to just phone in the draft completely. Nikola Milutinov was a reach at No. 26, and he is years away from being able to contribute. Second-round pick Cady Lalanne projects best as a defensive presence in the paint, but he is a bit undersized with his 6-9 frame. The bottom line is that both guys could end being throw-away picks.

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