NBA Draft

2015 NBA Draft recap: Surprise Picks... NO BLOCKBUSTERS!!!

The Warriors grabbed Kevon Looney with the 30th pick in the NBA Draft and didn't trade David Lee.

By chowster24 Jun 25, 2015, 10:01pm PDT

With the last pick in the first round of the NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors had UCLA's Kevon Looney slip into their hands. Golden State could afford to take a gamble on Looney and decided to take forward despite injury concerns regarding his hip.

We saw a few surprising picks that shaped how the lottery portion of the draft pan out but what was shocking was the lack of big trades considering the hype and rumors that spread prior to the draft.

Nevertheless, we breakdown some of the draft selections that went down tonight.

Some surprising/intriguing picks

L.A. Lakers | D'Angelo Russell

Many were expecting the Lakers to take big man Jahlil Okafor with the second overall pick. However, LA decided to grab one of the most dynamic guards in the draft who has the highest star (and bust) potential. I think this is a great selection for the Lakers who desire star power and guard help. With a small crop of elite point guards in this free agent market this year, it made a ton of sense for the LA to draft D'Angelo Russell.

New York Knicks | Kristaps Porzingis

I was actually expecting the Sixers to take Porzingis at the third slot. New York fans were displeased with the Porzingis pick but some scouts believe he has the potential to develop into a top NBA player. Porzingis is likely a couple years away, but he has a sweet stroke for a big man and would be an interesting option in Phil Jackson's triangle offense.

Sacramento Kings | Willie Cauley-Stein

The Kings had a void at the point guard spot but opted to draft the Kentucky center Cauley-Stein instead. Cauley-Stein is an athletic big who runs the floor well and can defend multiple positions. He is also working to extend his range and increase his skillset. With DeMarcus Cousins' situation going on, some saw this pick as a replacement for the Kings' center. However, SB Nation's Tom Ziller thinks Cauley Stein will help Cousins with his defense and be his reinforcement.

Denver Nuggets | Emmanuel Mudiay

I was amazed to see Mudiay slip all the way to the Nuggets. At 6' 5", Mudiay spent last year playing in China for the Guangdong Southern Tigers. Denver lands an energetic point guard who may also spell the end for Ty Lawson (or at least he believes so). The Nuggets are at crossroads this offseason but have a nice building piece should they decide to tear it down.

Miami Heat | Justise Winslow

Winslow was another prospect who fell and dropped into the beaches of Miami. The forward out of Duke won a National Championship with the Blue Devils and brings a winning mentality to the Heat. Luol Deng is an unrestricted free agent this summer and should he leave, Winslow would fill in immediately as a two-way presence. Dwyane Wade's wife Gabrielle Union tweeted this after the pick:

Hey, Justise Winslow... Welcome to Miami, now get used to ppl misspelling your 1st name. I know a guy who dealt w/ the same thing :)
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) June 26, 2015