The question of the moment in the NBA circles is who will be the No 1 pick in the draft.
With a large number of big men set for a top-ten selection, former Duke standout Jahlil Okafor is one of the most mentioned for a top-5.
The draft will be held on Thursday, June 25, at Barclays Arena in Brooklyn, New York, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who finished with the lowest winning percentage this past season, earned the right to select the No 1 pick.
The Los Angeles Lakers hold the second pick among the 30 NBA teams while the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks and Orlando Magic round out the top five.
Judging by the workouts and high-profile candidates, this may be a draft of the big men, even though the game is currently dominated by back-court men such as the 2015 NBA regular-season MVP Stephen Curry.
Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns, Willie Cauley-Stein and Latvian Kristaps Porzingis seem to rank atop of the group, with one of them having the realistic chance of becoming the first ‘big man’ No 1 pick since New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis in 2012.
Okafor, who helped Duke win the 2015 NCAA championship in April, is one of the few NBA-ready players, while Porzingis is an outstanding outside shooter with the ability to protect the rim.
Okafor’s post moves and scoring skills continue to improve day after day and his athleticism should be a plus for whichever team picks him.
But one thing that Okafor and his suiters are aware of is his weak free-throw shooting, which has become recurrent in big men in recent years. Okafor will also need to improve his defensive game.
However, if the Timberwolves select versatile big man Karl-Anthony Towns, Okafor may see his chances increased to head to the Los Angeles, a team that invited him for two workout sessions.
Whatever the outcome of the 2015 NBA draft, it won’t determine the future career of any of the candidates.
© supersport.com
