With the NBA Draft Lottery behind us, it is time to let the mock drafts begin. This time of year is the favorite for NBA analysts and scouts, as they get to give their two cents on who should go where when draft day rolls around. There are sure to be hours of speculation on what players should be drafted in reality, but what about the 2015 draft in NBA 2K15? Here are my top five would-be picks in the video game world.

Images captured from EmpraceThePace's NBA 2K15 Draft Class

1. Minnesota Timberwolves- Karl-Anthony Towns, PF, Kentucky. 
The Timberwolves’ first pick comes down to Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor. I’m taking Towns because he has played the PF position more, and the Timberwolves are certainly going to be looking for a great prospect to fill that position and replace the aging legend Kevin Garnett once he finally decides to call it quits. With a defensive ranking of 29th in NBA 2K15, the Wolves could use a great defensive presence. Towns would build on a young core that Minnesota has, which features the 79 OVR Andrew Wiggins, the 78 OVR Ricky Rubio and the slam dunk champion Zach Lavine (he does have an overall of 69, but obviously has a lot of room to grow). 
 

2. Los Angeles Lakers- Jahlil Okafor, C, Duke. 
If the Timberwolves choose Towns, then of course the Lakers are going to take the next best thing. The center position is in desperate need of talent for the purple and gold, as the Lakers’ best center in NBA 2k15 is the 78 OVR Jordan Hill. The Lakers really lack a low-post presence, which makes the offense hard to operate when you cannot threaten down low and then kick it to Kobe (if you are playing an injury-free roster). With how much Okafor was double teamed in his one season at Duke, and how successful he still was offensively, he would be a great fit for the Lakers in NBA 2K15, as it would give the user a low-post presence to build the rest of the offense around.
 

3. Philadelphia 76ers - D’Angelo Russell, G, Ohio State. 
When it comes to the 76ers, they could use upgrades at multiple positions. It is obvious that they are in a rebuild, and the past two years have allowed them to draft two solid prospect big men in the 77 OVR Joel Embiid and the 76 OVR Nerlens Noel. Russell could fit into both guard spots, which would be very helpful as their current starting shooting guard, Jason Richardson, is 33 years old and does not really fit into a team looking for new young talent. Even though fortune has not favored the 76ers recently, they are beginning to fill more and more positions in with young developing talent. Russell would help any 2K player rebuild and fill either guard spot for Philly. 
 

4. New York Knicks - Emmanuel Mudiay, G, China (International). 
You know it’s bad when you intentionally tank away the season and still get stuck with the fourth pick in the draft. This is where picks begin to get a bit hazy and mocks begin to differ. That being said, the Knicks can still grab a potential star by taking Emmanuel Mudiay. If it wasn’t for the fact that he played in China and had injury issues I would have taken him third. Emmanuel playing overseas and his injury issues would hurt his 2K rating, which is why he drops a spot. Mudiay is the best available at the fourth pick, and grabbing a point guard would give the user someone to dish the ball to Melo when they feel like piling up the points. New York’s current starting point guard is Jose Calderon, who is a 72 OVR and 33 years old. Bringing on the 19-year old Mudiay will likely give you a similar rating with way more youth and potential. 
 

5. Orlando Magic - Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Kentucky. 
The Magic have a lot of young players in their starting five, including the 76 OVR Elfrid Payton, 79 OVR Victor Oladipo and 78 OVR Tobias Harris. With a lot of young talent, it is difficult to make a selection because you don’t want to force yourself to put a young prospect on the bench who might develop into a star at some point. Therefore, it makes sense to draft the extremely versatile seven-footer Willie Cauley-Stein. His wingspan is astounding, making him a shot-blocking phenom, and his athleticism gives him the capability to guard multiple positions on the floor. He draws comparisons to the 86 OVR DeAndre Jordan for a reason, and if he could develop into that kind of player then any 2K15 player would certainly find a place for him in their rotation regardless of how good the other young guns become. 

This draft certainly features future potential stars in the early first round, and if I was in the shoes of any of these NBA executives in NBA 2K15, this is what I’d go with. If you’re using a draft class and you are in one of these positions, who would you go with?