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Two-Round 2015 NBA Mock Draft

By Spencer

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Mar 28, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Wisconsin Badgers forward Sam Dekker (15) moves the ball against Arizona Wildcats forward Stanley Johnson (5) during the second half in the finals of the west regional of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The guys at Most Valuable Podcast asked writers from each team to participate in a two-round mock draft. I was asked to select for the Utah Jazz.

In this mock draft, the Utah Jazz made out like bandits! Here is my analysis on the selections I made.

With the 12th pick in the 2015 NBA Mock Draft, the Utah Jazz select…

Stanley Johnson, SF, Arizona

Those of you who know me, know that I am a huge Stanley Johnson fan. I wrote a draft profile on him that goes in to great depth about why he makes sense for the Utah Jazz. In this mock draft, the Utah Jazz were in an interesting situation as both Stanley Johnson and Myles Turner were available.

Stanley Johnson is the better player and he won out in this mock draft. Stanley is a versatile wing who has the tools to be an excellent three-and-D guy. His shot is underrated by most, and he is great at attacking the basket.

Johnson has the exact same body that Draymond Green had coming out of college. Johnson has the same body at the age of 19 that Draymond Green had at 22. Johnson can guard four positions similar to Green.

Jazz fans were very vocal about wanting Green in free agency, so why no just draft the next one in Stanley?

With the 42nd pick in the 2015 NBA Mock Draft, the Utah Jazz select…

Richaun Holmes, PF, Bowling Green

I think it’s unlikely that the Jazz will be selecting both second round picks. They could very likely package both to move up, trade them for a role player or send them in a trade for rights to a European player. However, in this mock draft we were not projecting trades, so I made the selections for the Utah Jazz.

Holmes is a great value pick at this point in the draft, and we all know the Jazz will select the best player available at each spot. Richaun is a six-foot-ten big man who played center in college. He will likely play power forward at the next level.

The senior out of Bowling Green is an athletic defender and one of the best shot blockers in the draft. He is a scrappy player and a tenacious rebounder. Holmes began to show the signs of an outside shot his senior year. He may not ever be able to hit the NBA three, but he should be able to space the floor with a solid mid-range game.

Richaun is not a ‘can’t-miss prospect’, as in the second round you are essentially throwing darts just hoping to hit on something. The flaws with Richaun are that he is raw offensively, inconsistent, and will have to transition from center to power forward. The other question on him is about the competition he played against. The best team that Bowling Green played this year was Dayton. In that game Holmes went 4-11 from the field for nine points and 11 rebounds. He fouled out of the game as well. After the Dayton game the opponents that BG faced were marginal at best.

While there are questions about him, Holmes would fit nicely with the Utah Jazz. He is a good defender who could play solid minutes off the bench.

With the 54th pick in the 2015 NBA Mock Draft, the Utah Jazz select…

Jonathan Holmes, PF/SF, Texas

As stated earlier I doubt the Jazz make this pick, and if they do they likely look for a European player to stash overseas. Jonathan Holmes, who DraftExpress has going 28th in their mock draft, fell to the point that I had to select him.

Holmes is a versatile forward. He’s a decent rebounder and solid shot blocker. He’s got a great energy that he brings to the game and is a good shooter who can step out to the three point line.  He could be the stretch big that the Jazz are looking for. He didn’t shoot it great in college but has the makings of a good shot.  In fact, at the NBA Combine Holmes went 17-25 from three. If he can hit that shot, he will also bring some defense that most stretch-fours do not bring.

The phrase “Jack of all trades, master of none” comes to mind when you think of Holmes. He does lots of things right, but nothing great.  Holmes is also one of those rare players, along with Trey Lyles, who will be transitioning from SF to PF in the NBA. This could be an issue for him.

Let me know what you thought of my selections in this mock draft in the comments!

Next: How the Utah Jazz Can Build Upon Their Post-Break Success

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