The Prospect Post: Mock Lottery 1.0

This article aims to provide an ongoing evaluation of the NBA's rookie class from a fantasy standpoint while also offering deep dives on college players with bright futures. Projecting young talent is very subjective, so an open dialogue is encouraged, both in the comments section and on Twitter: @RealJRAnderson

March is almost here, which means the college hoops season is winding down. Is it the perfect time to mock the first 14 picks in the 2015 draft? Probably not. But people love mocks, and who am I to not give the people what they want?

This draft order is in descending order of the team most likely to get the No. 1 overall pick as of Feb. 27, 2015.

1.Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke

Rejoice Knicks fans, your savior has arrived. Landing Okafor is the dream scenario for Phil Jackson and company, as this current roster is very irrelevant in the grand scheme of the Eastern conference -- even with Carmelo Anthony. This would represent a tough pairing of Okafor and Anthony, two extremely efficient scorers who need the ball and who are both suspect defenders. It may not be a winning combination, but the Knicks would immediately have two of the top-15 assets in the NBA.

2.D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State

The 76ers could take Karl-Anthony Towns here, but the backlash to this rebuilding effort is getting louder, and stockpiling potential franchise centers would not appease many pundits. That said, the case could be made that Russell is the second-best prospect in the draft, especially offensively. He would step in as the 76ers' point guard of the future, and possesses much more realistic upside than the departed Michael Carter-Williams -- a fact that general manager Sam Hinkie could rub in the faces of those who did not understand the recent Carter-Williams trade.

3.Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky

Towns won't fall past the third pick. I wrote recently that Towns is the only player in the draft with the chance to be selected over Okafor, and I stand by that, though he would need an outstanding performance in the NCAA Tournament to pull it off. The T-Wolves don't have a "need" in the post, but a trio of Nikola Pekovic, Gorgui Dieng and Towns could be awfully tempting.

4.Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China

The mystery man of the draft does not slip past the top four picks. In fact, he could easily have gone second in this mock. It would come down to how the 76ers thought Mudiay stacked up against Russell and Towns. He was shut down earlier this month after an ankle injury, so much of the scouting process is over with regards to Mudiay. The 6-foot-5 point guard averaged 17.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.9 assists in 30.1 minutes per game for Guangdong of the China Basketball Association before the injury. His three-point and free-throw shooting need work, but he may be the best player in this draft at dishing and finishing when he attacks the basket.

5.Justise Winslow, SF, Duke

This is a bet on Winslow's ability to show out in the NCAA tournament against top competition, and a bet on general manager Rob Hennigan's love of long, athletic, do-everything college players. Winslow continues to remind me of Andre Iguodala, and I'm guessing the Magic would find it difficult to pass up the opportunity to deploy Victor Oladipo, Winslow and Aaron Gordon at the two, three and four respectively -- basically hoping to out-work and out-athlete the competition.

6.Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky

Cauley-Stein is the player JaVale McGee was supposed to be. For anyone who thinks he won't be an impact big in the NBA, or at least get treated like an impact big early in his career, consider that McGee has made a cool $35 million so far in the NBA without every really doing much of anything. Teams love long 7-footers, and WCS should be able to at least change the game on the defensive end of the court in a 25-30 mpg role.

7.Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona

The Kings could really use Russell or Mudiay, but that may be a long shot at this point. Johnson could represent the dynamic wing they tried to acquire with the Ben McLemore and Nik Stauskas picks, and it would allow McLemore and Stauskas to come off the bench, which would be proper roles for them.

8.Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Spain

Hezonja has a beautiful jump shot and would give the Jazz a guy to help stretch the floor in a way that Alec Burks, Dante Exum and Trey Burke can't. He may even be a Kyle Korver-level shooter, in which case getting him with the eighth pick would look like a heist.

9.Kevon Looney, PF, UCLA

General manager Danny Ainge likes to acquire developing assets, and with the Celtics' frontcourt lacking a potential impact big, Looney would check both boxes. Players with Looney's upside on middling teams on the West Coast typically get under-ranked before the draft process, but his athleticism and raw potential to be a dominant inside-outside power forward in the Paul Millsap or Lamar Odom vein should be evident at the draft combine.

10.Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky

The "Devin Booker could be Klay Thompson" hype has begun, and I love it. Honestly, it would not SHOCK me if a team fell in love with Booker's skill set and popped him with the No. 5 pick. He already has easy NBA range and I definitely don't see Detroit Pistons emperor, and noted lover of the post and kick game, Stan Van Gundy passing on the chance to get his hands on perhaps the next great young shooting guard.

11.Frank Kaminsky, PF/C, Wisconsin

This is about as far as I can see Frank the Tank falling, and if he dominates in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season, I don't see him falling this far outside the top-5. However, in this mock, I think the historical tendencies of the teams ahead of Indiana could lead him to fall perfectly into the Pacers' lap at 11.

12. via Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas

Oubre may be the best athlete in the draft, and while his game needs a lot of polish, players with his athleticism don't typically fall out of the lottery. He may never make an All-Star team, but he could win a dunk contest or two.

13.Bobby Portis, PF, Arkansas

Portis fits the bill of an unheralded player from a lesser program who builds up some steam heading into the draft, a la Elfrid Payton or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He has a great body to play the four, and could develop into an average starter in the NBA, especially if he continues to make strides with his jumper.

14. via Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF, Arizona

Yes, Hollis-Jefferson needs to work A LOT on his jump shot, but he has some stuff you can't teach, namely athleticism, competitiveness, and a knack for making big plays. He is the type of guy who could come into the league with a lot of questions about his game, and then improve to the point where people will be saying he should have been a top-10 pick.