2015 NBA Draft: Who Teams Should Have Picked Based on Analytics

Picks 1 to 3

1. Minnesota Timberwolves - Karl-Anthony Towns, PF/C

Currently on the Timberwolves' roster is a statue of Kevin Garnett, Anthony Bennett (who they're trying to trade) and Adreian Payne. While Garnett posted numbers last year that virtually made him a push while on the floor, the two youngsters were a combined nERD of -7.5 and combined Real Plus-Minus of -13.26. That's where Towns comes in with his outstanding defense and ability to score the ball efficiently down low. Talk about an upgrade.

2. Los Angeles Lakers - Jahlil Okafor, C

Robert Sacre isn't turning into a good NBA center anytime soon and Jordan Hill is coming off a season in which he posted a Real Plus-Minus of -4.35, which is more than 10 points worse than DeMarcus Cousins' 6.11. Sacre and Hill also combined for a nERD of -6.7. The Lakers need a lot of big help, and it's only an added bonus that Okafor would be the best available on the board.

3. Philadelphia 76ers - D'Angelo Russell, PG

In addition to Nerlens Noel's improvement and decent nERD of -1.4 (rookies generally don't grade out well in the efficiency-based metric), Joel Embiid could be the key to the four-spot when he gets healthy. So, the numbers suggest a point guard would be the best pick for the Sixers. Isaiah Canaan and Ish Smith combined for a nERD of -4.9 and a Real Plus-Minus of -6.3. Compare that to Steph Curry's 9.2 and you can very easily see the difference in talent at the floor general position. The Sixers really could have used a player with Russell's various talents.