Realistic Best Case Scenarios for 2015 Draft Prospects

• Karl Anthony-Towns – Rasheed Wallace
• Jahlil Okafor – Al Jefferson
• D’Angelo Russell – Manu Ginobili/Goran Dragic
• Willie Cauley-Stein – Tyson Chandler/Chris Andersen
• Justise Winslow – James Harden
• Kristaps Porzingis – Detlef Schrempf/Andrea Bargnani
• Emmanuel Mudiay – Kyrie Irving
• Stanley Johnson – Tobias Harris 
• Mario Hezonja – Drazen Petrovic/Nik Stauskas
• Trey Lyles – Drew Gooden (Kansas)
• Frank Kaminsky – Pau Gasol
• Myles Turner – Theo Ratliff
• Kelly Oubre – Chandler Parsons
• Devin Booker – Trajan Langdon
• Bobby Portis – Jermaine O’Neal 
• Jerian Grant – Brandon Knight
• Montrezl Harrell – Josh Smith
• Sam Dekker – Kyle Singler
• Chris McCoullough – Perry Jones III
• Delon Wright – Larry Hughes/Elliot Williams
• Kevon Looney – Brandon Wright
• Christian Wood – Donte Greene
• Terry Rozier – Marcus Banks 
• R.J. Hunter – Francisco Garcia
• Jarrell Martin – Derrick Williams 
• Tyus Jones – Mike Conley 
• Rondae Hollis-Jefferson – Stacey Augmon
• Justin Anderson – P.J. Tucker
• Jordan Mickey – Marvin Williams
• Cliff Alexander – Kris Humphries 
• Rashad Vaughan – Von Wafer/MarShon Brooks
• Brandon Ashley – Jeff Green
• Terran Petteway – Marquis Daniels
• Andrew Harrison – Rodney Stuckey/Ron Harper
• Rakeem Christmas – Jordan Hill 
• Aaron Harrison – Derek Anderson
• Dakari Johnson – Kendrick Perkins 
• Branden Dawson – Alan Anderson
• J.P. Tokoto – Dahntay Jones
• Dez Wells – Trenton Hassell
• Ryan Boatright – Darrell Armstrong 
• Chris Walker – Amir Johnson

• Karl Anthony-Towns – Rasheed Wallace
• Jahlil Okafor – Al Jefferson
• D’Angelo Russell – Manu Ginobili/Goran Dragic
• Willie Cauley-Stein – Tyson Chandler/Chris Andersen
• Justise Winslow – James Harden
• Kristaps Porzingis – Detlef Schrempf/Andrea Bargnani
• Emmanuel Mudiay – Kyrie Irving
• Stanley Johnson – Tobias Harris 
• Mario Hezonja – Drazen Petrovic/Nik Stauskas
• Trey Lyles – Drew Gooden (Kansas)
• Frank Kaminsky – Pau Gasol
• Myles Turner – Theo Ratliff
• Kelly Oubre – Chandler Parsons
• Devin Booker – Trajan Langdon
• Bobby Portis – Jermaine O’Neal 
• Jerian Grant – Brandon Knight
• Montrezl Harrell – Josh Smith
• Sam Dekker – Kyle Singler
• Chris McCoullough – Perry Jones III
• Delon Wright – Larry Hughes/Elliot Williams
• Kevon Looney – Brandon Wright
• Christian Wood – Donte Greene
• Terry Rozier – Marcus Banks 
• R.J. Hunter – Francisco Garcia
• Jarrell Martin – Derrick Williams 
• Tyus Jones – Mike Conley 
• Rondae Hollis-Jefferson – Stacey Augmon
• Justin Anderson – P.J. Tucker
• Jordan Mickey – Marvin Williams
• Cliff Alexander – Kris Humphries 
• Rashad Vaughan – Von Wafer/MarShon Brooks
• Brandon Ashley – Jeff Green
• Terran Petteway – Marquis Daniels
• Andrew Harrison – Rodney Stuckey/Ron Harper
• Rakeem Christmas – Jordan Hill 
• Aaron Harrison – Derek Anderson
• Dakari Johnson – Kendrick Perkins 
• Branden Dawson – Alan Anderson
• J.P. Tokoto – Dahntay Jones
• Dez Wells – Trenton Hassell
• Ryan Boatright – Darrell Armstrong 
• Chris Walker – Amir Johnson

 Let me fix you where needed: kat – notch below Hakeem/Robert Perish/real size center Al Horford, jahlil – Moses Malone with some Patrick Ewing, both bigs are sure thing superstars, very special draft for that reason… Russell – bigger Lowry/Deron Williams/Arenas Gilbert, mudiay – bigger Jeff Teague/bigger Schroder, kristaps – bigger LMA/Robert Horry, winslow – Clyde Drexler/Stackhouse, hezonja – Ben Maclemore/JR Swish/Nick Young/Gerald Green, stanley johnson – shorter stronger Harison Barnes/Caron the Butler did it, lyles – Antwan Jamison/Danny Manning, frank the tank – Rick Smits/Sam Perkins/Kelly Olynyk, myles turner – Alex Len/Gorgey Dieng, oubre – Josh Howard/Ariza/Corey Brawer, booker – Kris Midelton/Rasul the Butler did it, portis – Juwan Howard/Vin Baker, wcs – Andrw Bogut meets Dale Davis, payne – Terry Porter, Dekker – Sean Elliott/Luol Deng, looney – AC Green/Joe Smith, rhj – MKG, Harrell – Brian Grant, vaughn – OJ Mayo?

 Let me fix you where needed: kat – notch below Hakeem/Robert Perish/real size center Al Horford, jahlil – Moses Malone with some Patrick Ewing, both bigs are sure thing superstars, very special draft for that reason… Russell – bigger Lowry/Deron Williams/Arenas Gilbert, mudiay – bigger Jeff Teague/bigger Schroder, kristaps – bigger LMA/Robert Horry, winslow – Clyde Drexler/Stackhouse, hezonja – Ben Maclemore/JR Swish/Nick Young/Gerald Green, stanley johnson – shorter stronger Harison Barnes/Caron the Butler did it, lyles – Antwan Jamison/Danny Manning, frank the tank – Rick Smits/Sam Perkins/Kelly Olynyk, myles turner – Alex Len/Gorgey Dieng, oubre – Josh Howard/Ariza/Corey Brawer, booker – Kris Midelton/Rasul the Butler did it, portis – Juwan Howard/Vin Baker, wcs – Andrw Bogut meets Dale Davis, payne – Terry Porter, Dekker – Sean Elliott/Luol Deng, looney – AC Green/Joe Smith, rhj – MKG, Harrell – Brian Grant, vaughn – OJ Mayo?

 This is actually a pretty good list, I like a lot of your comps (Russell, Winslow, WCS). I diasagree with a few though, most notably Turner as Aldridge. While Turner has potential  to become a shooter (and of course there’s the Texas connection), I think they have different games. Aldridge is a skilled big, with reasonable passing/dribbling abilities and a refined post game based on his ability to shoot turnaround jumpers. Turner, on the other hand, is probably a defensive specialist with dunking/shooting ability on offense. He was a dominant defensive rebounder and shot blocker in college, but he wasn’t very good offensively. Not that it wasa great situation, but I don’t think he’ll be anything close to an offensive focal point in the NBA, even in the best case scenario. Turner is a defense first big and Aldridge is offense first. I think a good upside comp for Turner could be Timofey Mozgov meets Spencer Hawes? A less athletic DeAndre with range? I don’t know, there really isn’t a great comp for Turner (I don’t love these), but I still don’t think Aldridge works well. 

 This is actually a pretty good list, I like a lot of your comps (Russell, Winslow, WCS). I diasagree with a few though, most notably Turner as Aldridge. While Turner has potential  to become a shooter (and of course there’s the Texas connection), I think they have different games. Aldridge is a skilled big, with reasonable passing/dribbling abilities and a refined post game based on his ability to shoot turnaround jumpers. Turner, on the other hand, is probably a defensive specialist with dunking/shooting ability on offense. He was a dominant defensive rebounder and shot blocker in college, but he wasn’t very good offensively. Not that it wasa great situation, but I don’t think he’ll be anything close to an offensive focal point in the NBA, even in the best case scenario. Turner is a defense first big and Aldridge is offense first. I think a good upside comp for Turner could be Timofey Mozgov meets Spencer Hawes? A less athletic DeAndre with range? I don’t know, there really isn’t a great comp for Turner (I don’t love these), but I still don’t think Aldridge works well. 

Which saddens me in a way, since these threads are alot more fun when the comparisons are awful.

I’ve never bought the Okafor-Jefferson connection, though. Someone I know suggested that Brad Daugherty would be a better comp, could that be possible?

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/daughbr01.html

Which saddens me in a way, since these threads are alot more fun when the comparisons are awful.

I’ve never bought the Okafor-Jefferson connection, though. Someone I know suggested that Brad Daugherty would be a better comp, could that be possible?

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/daughbr01.html