#1 Minnesota Timberwolves - Karl-Anthony Towns. Why? They have a top ten assist man in Ricky Rubio, a dangerous enough shooter in Kevin Martin, a dynamic scorer in Andrew Wiggins, and a fundamentally solid center in Nikola Pekovic. Putting Karl-Anthony Towns at the PF position (learning under one of the best NBA PFs of all time, KG) will make the Wolves a darkhorse for the playoffs, even in the super loaded Western Conference.
#2 Los Angeles Lakers - Jahlil Okafor. Why? Imagine a frontline of Okafor and Randle. Add the vastly improving Jordan Clarkson and if Kobe Bryant has anything left in the tank, this Lakers team won't be as embarrassing as last year's team. Will they make the playoffs? No. Will they win 35 games? Probably not. But Okafor and Randle get the chance to inherit the Lakers from Kobe as well as all the playing time the can handle.
#3 Philadelphia 76ers - D'Angelo Russell. Why? Their other options at PG are Ish Smith and Isaiah Canaan. The 76ers have so many problems but they've started addressing those with the development of players like Nerlens Noel, Tony Wroten, Henry Sims and Robert Covington. The most glaring need is at PG so Russell makes the most sense. Now if only Joel Embiid finally gets back on court...
#4 New York Knicks - Willie Cauley-Stein. The New York Knicks are another team with a hell of a lot of problems but offense isn't one of them. Carmelo Anthony is still among the best offensive weapons in the NBA, and if there's one thing Andrea Bargnani can still do, it's shoot the ball. What they don't have is any kind of defensive presence. Quincy Acy and Cole Aldrich will do their best to keep opposing offenses out of the paint but Willie Trill can take it several notches up and, in the process, relieve Melo from having to do anything on the defensive end. (If Phil Jackson picks Kristaps Porzingis or Mario Hezonja at #4, I will be the first to call him crazy and unfit to be the GM of any NBA team)
#5 Orlando Magic - Emmanuel Mudiay. It's hard to really define any position that the Magic need a major upgrade in, seeing as they have a young core who can stay and grow together. That being said, PG seems to be their weakest spot, with sophomore Elfrid Payton and veteran Luke Ridnour splitting time there. Mudiay has had a taste of the pro life in China (18 pts, 6.3 rebs, 5 assists), so his learning curve should be a lot smaller than other PGs and he's got the chance to make an immediate impact with the Magic.
Come back tomorrow for predictions on who goes from #6-#10
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