The Prospect Post: Mock Lottery 2.0

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

Even the most casual college hoops fans are starting to get eyes on the top prospects in this year's draft class, so it seemed like the time was right to do a second mock lottery. The pick order here is based on the current odds at getting the No. 1 overall pick.

1. Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke (previous position: No. 1)

There seems to be some building momentum among people who haven't seen a lot of Duke or Kentucky this season to put Karl-Anthony Towns in the top spot, but it's gotten to the point where Okafor might actually be underrated. He is basically automatic from anywhere around the hoop and he already has NBA-ready size. Free throws will be something he has to work on, but I continue to envision a Tim Duncan-esque career minus the elite defense, which is still a generational talent.

2. Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Kentucky (previous: No. 3)

Towns may have the most upside of anyone in the draft, as he could one day get to where Okafor is offensively while also impacting the game immensely on the defensive end. As consolation prizes go, Towns is pretty awesome, and he should be a useful fantasy option right out of the gate thanks to his high field-goal percentage and ability to contribute immediately in the blocks and rebounds categories.

3. D'Angelo Russell, PG, Ohio State (previous: No. 2)

Russell is one of the best point guard prospects in recent memory, and he has the upside to be a top-three fantasy point guard in time. The fact that his three-point shot is so developed at this age leads one to wonder if he could be one of the all-time great shooting point guards. A bigger version of Damian Lillard with better court vision is a nice prize at No. 3 overall, and Russell could help the 76ers turn things around right away.

4. Justise Winslow, SF, Duke (previous: No. 5)

Winslow has become my personal favorite from this year's draft class. If you told me that in five years Winslow was considered the best player from this draft, I would not be at all surprised. He has that kind of upside. The great thing about him is there's nothing he can't do, and his makeup is off the charts. I've thrown out an Andre Iguodala comp on Winslow before, but I'm starting to think that undersells his offensive potential. A 6-foot-7, 230-pound super-athletic wing who shot 48 percent from the field and 39.2 percent from long range as a 19-year-old in the ACC doesn't need to do much more to get the attention of NBA evaluators. However, Winslow has had perhaps the best NCAA tournament of any potential lottery pick, and his stock continues to climb.

5. Emmanuel Mudiay, PG, China (previous: No. 4)

Mudiay is a strange case because while the consensus all season has been that he will be a top-four pick, he has been shut down with an ankle injury while players like Russell, Winslow and Stanley Johnson continue to improve their draft stock. I think he's vulnerable to slip a bit, especially if an NBA owner gets involved with the pick, as they often do. Owners are drawn to players they watch play in the United States in March and April who can help sell tickets right away, and Mudiay would be a straight scouting pick.

6. Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona (previous: No. 7)

Like Winslow, Johnson's upside is through the roof, but the latter has been less impactful than the former during his freshman season. The fact that the two players are so similar physically and have similar skill sets means that NBA execs will naturally do a lot of side-by-side comparisons. Unfortunately for Johnson, I just can't see a case for taking him ahead of Winslow, which by default will keep Johnson in the five-to-eight range of the first round.

7. Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky (previous: No. 6)

The pairing of Cauley-Stein and the Nuggets seems so obvious. I've said before that he is all the things people wanted JaVale McGee to be but with none of the baggage. He embraces the idea of being a defensive stopper because coach John Calipari has successfully gotten the message across to his players that there's no shame in being a specialist. The fact is, specialists get paid in the NBA, and Cauley-Stein is one of the best defensive prospects to come out of college in the last 10 years.

8. Devin Booker, SG, Kentucky (previous: No. 10)

I had the Pistons getting Booker at No. 10 overall in the Mock Lottery 1.0, and while their struggles have pushed their lottery odds up a few spots, I still think coach/GM Stan Van Gundy would find Booker difficult to pass up if Winslow and Johnson are off the board. Booker has a lot of similarities with the other great three-point shooters in the NBA, and is already accustomed to sacrificing touches to help his team win games, making him an ideal high-end role player.

9. via Mario Hezonja, SG/SF, Barcelona (previous: No. 8)

Perhaps more so than any other team in the league, the Hawks understand the importance of having a shooter like Kyle Korver whom defenses cannot afford to sag off of. While Korver is under contract through the 2016-17 season, the Hawks could easily just groom Hezonja to take over that role when Korver leaves. It would also serve as a security blanket in case Korver ever had to miss significant time.

10. Frank Kaminsky, C, Wisconsin (previous: No. 11)

The Hornets have used recent high first-round picks on big men (Noah Vonleh and Cody Zeller) yet Bismack Biyombo always seems to find his way into a major role on the team at certain points in the season, and that is less than ideal. Kaminsky is the real deal, and in many ways he is the player Charlotte thought it was getting in Zeller.

11. Kris Dunn, PG, Providence (previous: N/A)

Dunn has emerged as another nice consolation prize to teams who miss out on Russell and Mudiay but still crave a high-upside point guard. He has nice size (6-foot-4, 6-foot-8 wingspan) and has the potential to be a great two-way player. Everyone on the board at this point is a bit of a project, and Dunn is no different, but in a few years he could be a fantasy stud.

12. Kelly Oubre, SF, Kansas (previous: No. 12)

The draft starts to get much less predictable after the top-10 players are off the board, but Oubre could fit nicely with the Jazz. While Dante Exum, Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors is an excellent young nucleus, there are some questions on the wing in Utah. Alec Burks is locked up long term and Rodney Hood has looked impressive at times, but Oubre would offer a nice high-upside backup plan in case Burks' development stalls or Hood proves to be more of a sixth or seventh-man.

13. Tyus Jones, PG, Duke (previous: N/A)

A commenter in my the Mock Lottery 1.0 mentioned Jones as a guy who he thought should have been included. His username is "Bluedevilnc" so forgive me if I don't assume some bias, but I have to agree with him. The reason the Mavericks' offense took a huge hit after trading for Rajon Rondo is because his inability to shoot or get to the line crippled their offense, which was all about movement, passing and spacing, where every player on the court was expected to take and make open shots in the flow of the offense. Well, Jones has all of Rondo's passing ability plus the entire scoring package Rondo is lacking. He has an NBA-quality three-point shot and excels at getting to the line, where he shoots 88.4 percent. The big caveat is Jones is a sieve on defense, but Steve Nash won two MVPs and Stephen Curry is about to win his first, and those two players were never plus defenders. Had Jones come around in the 1990s, he may have never had a chance, but in the current style of play in the NBA, his game fits right in.

14. Kristaps Porzingis, PF, Sevilla (previous: N/A)

I was torn on this one. Porzingis is ranked in the middle of the top-10 on some lists for the upcoming draft, but I just don't see it, and this is a bet that NBA execs won't see it either. He reminds me a lot of Jan Vesely, and while there's no way he'll actually be that bad, I wouldn't take him over legitimate low-risk/high-upside U.S. talent.

Players who fell out of the lottery: Kevon Looney (UCLA), Bobby Portis (Arkansas), Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (Arizona)