The "Awards" of the 2015 NBA Draft Class

Best Hair: Kelly Oubre, F Kansas

I like this. It's a nice cut. The buzzed on the sides, mohawk look works for Oubre. He did have it better in high school, but he's going pro now. This award came down to Oubre or Notre Dame's Pat Connaughton, and Oubre pulled it out. But he comes nowhere close to last year's winner, Elfrid Payton.

Speediest Shorty: Marcus Thornton, G William & Mary

Marcus Thornton is a blur. He showed time and time again that he could outrun anyone he came up against in college. He also boasted the combine's top 3/4 court sprint time at 3.02 seconds. He may not hear his name on draft night, but he will make a run in the Summer League. 

Coolest Name: Montrezl Harrell, F Louisville

This one was a close one between Harrell and Arizona's Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Harrell edged him out due to his first name being so unique. He wins the award, joining last year's winner Fuquan Edwin as the best names in the draft. 

Really Great Scorer That No One Knows: Trevor Lacey, G NC State

Trevor Lacey was the surprise NBA Draft declaration that no one really thought was going to declare. But he had good reason to. In his three college seasons at Alabama and NC State, he proved he is a very capable three point shooter, and this year, proved his driving ability. It is likely he won't be selected on draft night, but he can provide a spark for whoever gives him a chance. 

Best Mid-Major Prospect: Cameron Payne, G Murray State

This award was not given last year for some reason, but the winner this year is obviously Murray State's Cameron Payne. The stud leaped onto everyone's draft boards at the end of the year, and in nearly every mock draft (and my article about OKC's draft needs), he goes 14 to the Thunder. He will join Isaiah Canaan as the second Racer currently playing. 

Best Three-Part Name: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, F Arizona

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson will dunk on you. And he has the best three-part name in this draft, so the award goes to him. Hollis-Jefferson has a career ahead of him.

Most Mentioned in this Article: Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, F Arizona

Well, Rondae got mentioned twice in this article, but he took home an award, which last year's winner (Bogdan Bogdanovic) failed to do. Congratulations Rondae, and best of luck to you and the rest of the winners in the upcoming draft. 

The 2012 Draft and Its Impact on the NBA Playoffs

The 2012 NBA Draft has turned out a high number of stars, and in turn, has impacted these 2015 NBA Playoffs. Those three Golden State Warriors players, Harrison Barnes (40), Festus Ezeli (31), and Draymond Green (23), were big names in the recent Western Conference Finals against Houston and all made an impact in Game 1 of the Finals. Let's recap the players from that draft who made themselves known in the playoffs.

Lottery Picks

No. 1 Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans), No. 3 Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards), No. 6 Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers), No. 7 Harrison Barnes (Golden State Warriors), No. 10 Austin Rivers (Drafted by NOLA, plays for Los Angeles Clippers).

Terrence Ross of Toronto, the eighth selection in the draft, played in the playoffs, but didn't perform.

15-30

No. 17 Tyler Zeller (Drafted by Cleveland, plays for Boston Celtics), No. 18 Terrence Jones (Houston Rockets), No. 21 Jared Sullinger (Celtics), No. 30 Festus Ezeli (Warriors)

23rd pick John Jenkins played for the Hawks, but like Ross, didn't do much.

2nd Round

No. 34 Jae Crowder (Drafted by DAL, plays for Celtics), No. 35 Draymond Green (Warriors), No. 39 Khris Middleton (Drafted by DET, plays for Milwaukee Bucks), No. 43 Mike Scott (Atlanta Hawks)

Undrafted Free Agents

Kent Bazemore (Hawks)

That is 13 out of 60 players drafted, plus another who didn't get drafted. Many more, such as Dion Waiters of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons, are producing for non-playoff teams. This draft, not considered one of the strongest in recent memory, is making a huge impact on the playoffs and the NBA. 

Who Should the Thunder Take in the 2015 NBA Draft?

Lottery Pick: 14th Overall

After a strange year for OKC which ended with Russell Westbrook having one of the best years of all time, Scott Brooks getting fired (and Billy Donovan coming in), and the reigning MVP, Kevin Durant, missing nearly the whole year, the Thunder need to address some needs in the draft. Fortunately for them, they are in good enough shape here to take a reach. They don't need a player who comes in and starts immediately. This is why I think OKC should take a risk here and take Murray State guard Cameron Payne. Payne averaged 20.3 points and 6.0 assists last year to go along with a PER that is much higher than some higher touted prospects. More options here would be Jerian Grant and Tyus Jones if they are looking for a boost off the bench. The Thunder also have another way to go here: energetic forwards Montrezl Harrell and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson should both be on the board, and they both could provide boosts behind Serge Ibaka.

Second Round Pick: 48th Overall

Honestly, OKC has three approaches when it comes to this pick. Their first option is the old best player available. At 48, that could mean the NCAA's leading scorer in Tyler Harvey, or a player that slipped, potentially Rashad Vaughn out of UNLV or Terran Petteway from Nebraska. The second option is to reach deep down and pick out a stud senior guard that they believe can provide experience and instant offense. If they look here, that could be any number of players. Five potentials are Keifer Sykes (Wisconsin Green Bay), Ryan Boatright (UConn), Joseph Young (Oregon), D'Angelo Harrison (St. John's), and Chasson Randle (Stanford). The third option is one OKC took last year with Josh Huestis: defense. This could be another Stanford player in Anthony Brown. It could also be 2-time All-SEC Defensive Team player Josh Richardson out of Tennessee. But don't sleep on Briante Weber, a VCU senior who was only a few steals away from the NCAA record when he tore nearly everything in his knee.

Hopeful Draft Haul
14th: Cameron Payne
48th: D'Angelo Harrison

Can the Lakers Legitimately Compete Next Year?

The Lakers have been awful the past two years. They will likely receive a top pick after receiving a top ten pick last year. Although they have been very disappointing, they can use the talent they have and talent from the draft to build a playoff team next year.

Current Roster

Tarik Black- C/F
Vander Blue- G
Carlos Boozer-F
Jabari Brown- G
Kobe Bryant- G
Jordan Clarkson- G
Ed Davis- F
Wayne Ellington-G
Jordan Hill- F
Wesley Johnson- F
Ryan Kelly- F
Jeremy Lin- G
Ronnie Price- G
Julius Randle- F
Robert Sacre- C
Nick Young- F/G

Hopeful Rotation

PG- Jordan Clarkson
SG- Kobe Bryant
SF- Justise Winslow (In upcoming draft)
PF- Julius Randle
C- Al Jefferson (Free Agent)
6th Man- Nick Young
7th Man- Jordan Hill
8th Man- Wesley Johnson
9th Man: Ronnie Price
10th Man: Carlos Boozer
Bench: Jeremy Lin
Bench: Robert Sacre
Reserve: Tarik Black
Reseve: Wayne Ellington
Reserve: Vander Blue

To me, a backcourt featuring the rookie surprise Clarkson, the legend Kobe, and the incoming rookie Winslow is a top ten wing combination. Then add Julius Randle, who got hurt in the first game, and former All-Star Al Jefferson, and this team can compete for a spot in the West playoffs. Kobe is old, so he will need breaks, which is where Swaggy P will come in. Nick Young had an off year, but he is still the most dynamic scorer on the roster. Jordan Hill, Wesley Johnson, and Ronnie Price are reliable bench options as well. If the Lakers can snag Winslow and pick up Jefferson, this roster will be possible, and it will be good enough to push the Lakers into the playoffs.

Draft Declaration Report: April 7, 2015

So far, we have had thirteen players declare for the 2015 NBA Draft. Interesting enough, we have three pairs of players that played together in college in the draft from Louisville, LSU, and Arizona. Here is who we have and where they should be picked in the upcoming draft.

First Round:

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Arizona F
Kelly Oubre, Kansas G/F
Montrezl Harrell, Louisville F
Terry Rozier, Louisville G
Myles Turner, Texas F
Cameron Payne, Murray State G
Kevon Looney, UCLA F

Second Round
Tyley Harvey, Eastern Washington G
Rashad Vaughn, UNLV G
R.J. Hunter, Georgia State G
Brandon Ashley, Arizona F
Jarell Martin, LSU F

Undrafted
Jordan Mickey, LSU F

Defense Wins Championships, Proven by Duke's Amile Jefferson and Matt Jones

First of all, congratulations to the Duke Blue Devils and Coach K on winning the 2015 NCAA National Championship over the Wisconsin Badgers. Their class of freshman was the topic of many conversations over the course of the season, and they showed up in the title game. Point guard Tyus Jones had 23 points and 5 rebounds on his way to winning the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Grayson Allen had a breakout game, scoring 16 clutch points down the stretch. Justise Winslow added 11 and Jahlil Okafor had 10, but they were limited due to fouls. Although the freshmen combined for 60 of Duke's 68 point, they are not the reason the game was won. The reason lies in two of the most unheralded Duke players, Amile Jefferson and Matt Jones.

When you eliminate freshmen, four Duke players played last night. Senior leader Quinn Cook scored six, but he seemed not to do as much for Duke as he had in previous games. Marshall Plumlee got on the floor for nine minutes, but he didn't do anything. The two other players, sophomore guard Matt Jones and junior forward Amile Jefferson, are overlooked in the summary of the team's success. Yes, they did only score two points (a Jefferson reverse layup), but they contributed on the defensive end. When Okafor got into foul trouble, Jefferson stepped in and locked down Frank Kaminsky down the stretch, allowing him only 3 points in clutch time. Keep in mind Kaminsky won the National Player of the Year earlier that day. Okafor couldn't stop him, but Jefferson came in and made a large, but overlooked contribution with three blocks and a steal. Matt Jones was assigned to Josh Gasser, a sniper who made large contributions in the tournament. Gasser didn't score the whole game. He helped on the other perimeter shooters as well, limiting them to only 33% shooting from three. What did these two earn for stopping Wisconsin? A piece of the net, because they don't need individual awards. Defense is about team, and it is obvious Jefferson and Jones give all they have to Duke. 

My NCAA Tournament Experience

On March 22, I made the pilgrimage from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Charlotte, North Carolina, to watch the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The games featured two Final Four teams: Game 1 was Michigan State vs. Virginia, and Game 2 was Duke vs. San Diego State. The first game was, well, exciting. MSU point guard Travis Trice exploded for 13 points in the first five minutes of the game, giving the Spartans a lead that the Virginia Cavaliers could not overcome. Trice ended the game with 23 points. The Cavaliers had their opportunities, but they could not throw a rock in the ocean. MSU could have left the building winning by 20, but they missed a ton of free throws, keeping the game close.

In Game 2, Duke had control and never lost. Justise Winslow finished the game in the first half with a monster block that led to a Quinn Cook transition three-pointer right in front of the SDSU section of the arena. Cook celebrated the three and SDSU never had a chance again. During halftime of the game, Michigan State players came out of their locker rooms and sat in the stands, and I was able to have a little talk with Spartan guard Denzel Valentine. He told me he felt all the momentum was on their side, and it was. This was the first time I had seen two Final Four teams live in action.