2015 NBA Draft: Top Underclassmen Prospects

Apr 5, 2015; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Left to right are, Duke Blue Devils center Jahlil Okafor (15) and guard Matt Jones (13) and forward Justise Winslow (12) and guards Tyus Jones (5) and Quinn Cook (2) and head coach Mike Krzyzewski during the team press conference at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

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Mar 7, 2015; Austin, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Myles Turner (52) shoots against Kansas State Wildcats forward Thomas Gipson (42) during the first half at the Frank Erwin Special Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports /

7. Myles Turner, PF/C, 6-11, 240 pounds, Texas FR

Turner is the ultimate boom-or-bust prospect. He’s nowhere near ready to compete at the NBA level, he has no position, his college numbers aren’t great, and apparently scouts are nervous because he runs weird? On the other hand, he’s 6-11, freakishly athletic, super long (9-2 wingspan), has the makings of a pick-and-pop game, and is already a great shot blocker.

Then again… so was Anthony Randolph. (Sad face.) Turner averaged 10.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game for the Longhorns. Surprisingly, advanced metrics value Turner more than I do: ESPN’s Chad Ford projects Turners WARP (Wins Above Replacement Player) at 3.0. For reference, the top pick in the Draft should score around a 3.1, and Joel Embiid was a 2.9 last year. Players with similar scores to Turner? Chris Bosh and Serge Ibaka.

Then again, Chad Ford may or may not have been retroactively changing his draft boards, and thought Sergey Karasev was a top-20 prospect, so you be the judge. Back to Turner, he’s more polished offensively than he gets credit for. That’s pretty good for a “raw” prospect right? His jumpshot has good form and he’s nowhere near as thin as the aforementioned Randolph. Good measurements and a solid workout could see him rise — a performance could see him plummet.

Next: No. 6