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NBA Draft 2015: 1st Round Breakdown -- Team Needs, Strengths, and Draft Strategy

It's high time I actually start writing about the NBA Draft.

The First Round is more than just about who will go #1 Overall
The First Round is more than just about who will go #1 Overall
Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

The NBA Draft is on June 25th this year, which is 58 days from today. The NBA Draft Lottery is on May 19th. Things are heating up, as the NBA Draft Combine starts (for the players) on May 12th. Heck, the Early Entrant list was just released. So, let's start talking about the NBA Draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, and Boston Celtics look to be the teams that make a lot of noise early and often in the first round. Here's the draft order for this year, and the strengths, weaknesses, and overall draft strategies for each of the teams. One thing we know now is that the NBA Draft is more than just a situation where your fates are made or broken depending on if you get the 1st pick -- after all, LeBron James has been spectacular, Anthony Bennett hasn't, and possible Rookie of the Year winner Andrew Wiggins looks to fly between those two extremes. And those are just guys all drafted by the same franchise.

Anyway, this is what you need to look out for -- as this is potentially "professional NBA draft chatter" because fate has made me someone who gets occasionally paid to write about the NBA Draft and attend it. I don't think I'm that smart, and I don't put a lot of stock into this stuff. It's early, and General Managers in the NBA are just as clueless as the fans are. So enjoy this moment, we don't know what's going to happen in the next few weeks. But we do know that some teams are going to really mess up under pressure.

So, here's the first round, and estimated guesses on what these teams may be looking for.

Team W L % Strength Weakness Strategy
1 MIN 16 66 19.5% PG, Youth, Andrew Wiggins Power Forward Best Player Available
2 NYK 17 65 20.7% Big City, Insane Owner Big City, Insane Owner Big City, Insane Owner
3 PHI 18 64 22.0% Fans used to losing Point Guard Best Player Available
4 LAL 21 61 25.6% Kobe Bryant Kobe System, Point Guard Best Player Available
5 ORL 25 57 30.5% PG, SG, C SF if Tobias Harris leaves Best Player Available
6 SAC 29 53 35.4% C, SG in theory Owner Best Player Available
7 DEN 30 52 36.6% PG, PF SG Best Player Available
8 DET 32 50 39.0% PG, SG, C PF if Greg Monroe leaves Best Player Available
9 CHA 33 49 40.2% Al Jefferson Non-Al Jeffersons Michael Jordan is horrible at his job
10 MIA 37 45 45.1% Weather It's not 2013 Anymore Best Player Available
11 IND 38 44 46.3% SF, PF, C SG, PG, and SG again [Racist Joke Redacted]
12 UTA 38 44 46.3% SF, PF, C PG Target best player on NCAA runner up
13 PHX 39 43 47.6% PG, Morrii C MOAR BALL HANDLERS!
14 OKC 45 37 54.9% PG, SF, PF C Please don't make us pay for Enes Kanter
15 ATL 60 22 73.2% PG, SG, C Free Agency Need someone Big
Team W L % Strength Weakness Strategy
16 BOS 40 42 48.8% PG, C SF, PF Somehow trade for Kevin Garnett again
17 MIL 41 41 50.0% PF, SF PG, SG But is he an upgrade over MCW?
18 HOU 56 26 68.3% James Harden, Dwight Howard PG, PF Most urgent need
19 WAS 46 36 56.1% John Wall PF Paul Pierce can't last forever tho…
20 TOR 49 33 59.8% Universal Health Care Playoffs Go for Athletes
21 DAL 50 32 61.0% Dirk Nowitzki, Insane Owner Window may have closed Best Player Available
22 CHI 50 32 61.0% PG, PF, C SG if Butler leaves Go for Defenders
23 POR 51 31 62.2% Damian Lillard, Steve Blake Everything Else Go for best Big
24 CLE 53 29 64.6% LeBron James LeBron James Hairline Need a wing badly
25 MEM 55 27 67.1% Lots of Grit Perhaps too much Grind Best Player Available
26 SAS 55 27 67.1% Lichdom Plucky Adventurers Best International guy on the board
27 LAL 21 61 25.6% Kobe Bryant Kobe System, Point Guard Look for rotation guy
28 BOS 40 42 48.8% PG, C SF, PF Tweener Forward? Gotta have him.
29 BKN 38 44 46.3% Insane Owner General Manager Throw money at the problem
30 GSW 67 15 81.7% PG, SG, PF, C No Four Point Line Get smart guards

Of course, expect more, and more, and more draft coverage here in the next few hours.