2015 NBA draft grades: All 30 teams from best to worst

Scott Gleeson | USA TODAY Sports

Show Caption Hide Caption Which teams improved the most at the NBA draft USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt examines which teams improved the most at 2015 NBA Draft.

With the 2015 NBA draft officially in the rearview mirror, here's a look at how each team fared based on their selections, trades and overall progress.

1. Miami Heat: Pat Riley should be dancing or popping bottles because Justise Winslow (No. 10) is the biggest draft steal in quite some time. The 6-6 lefty small forward's defense and strong play is the reason Mike Krzyzewski has another title. He's a winner and deserved to be in the top five, easily. Josh Richardson (No. 40) was a wise pick as well. Grade: A.

2. Denver Nuggets: Speaking of draft steals, the Nuggets got one too in NBA ready point guard Emmanuel Mudiay (No. 7). He has a Dwyane Wade-type craftiness and should star right away. Serbian point guard Nikola Radicevic (No. 57) is the other pick here. Grade: A.

3. Minnesota Timberwolves: You can't screw up the No. 1 pick, right? It's been done before. But not this year. Karl Anthony Towns (No. 1) is a big man who offers a diverse skillset and loads of potential. Moreover, Towns will fit in perfectly right away with a young nucleus in Minnesota. Tyus Jones (No. 24 aqcuired via trade) is about as good of a backup point man that you'll find. Grade: A.

4. Los Angeles Lakers: It's a guard-driven league and players like D'Angelo Russell (No. 2) don't come around often. His maturity, confidence and skillset at both guard positions will quickly make him a top-10 point guard. Playing alongside Kobe Bryant for a season won't hurt, either. Larry Nance (No. 27) and Anthony Brown (No. 34) were smart picks and nice complements to this rebuilding effort. Grade: A.

5. Oklahoma City Thunder: Cameron Payne (No. 14) was considered "sleeper" of this draft until Billy Donovan and Co. recognized the mid-major star as a dynamic playmaker well-suited to mesh with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. The Thunder had a missing piece to their puzzle. Payne was it. Dakari Johnson (No. 48) has the ability to develop into a solid NBA big man, and he's super underrated because he never fully blossomed while at Kentucky. Grade: A.

Knicks draft pick Kristaps Porzingis reacts to booing fans Kristaps Porzingis reacts to being picked number four overall to the New York Knicks in the 2015 NBA Draft.

6. New York Knicks: The boos would suggest otherwise, but Kristaps Porzingis (No. 4) could be the real deal and Phil Jackson seemed confident the 7-foot big man with a smooth stroke has the hunger to conquer any European bust expectations. Jerian Grant (No. 19 acquired via trade) was a sensational pickup. He was more of a scorer at Notre Dame but always had point guard tendencies, making him an ideal fit to make an immediate impact. Grade: B.

7. Golden State Warriors: The defending champions lucked out here big time, getting a big man who very easily could have been a lottery pick in Kevon Looney (No. 30). There will be plenty of time (and less pressure) to develop the UCLA product. Grade: B+

8. Houston Rockets: Sam Dekker (No. 18) slipped by some analysts' calculations and he's got the playmaking ability — evidenced in the last two Final Fours — to give the Rockets a needed extra weapon. Montrezl Harrell (No. 32) has the type of motor that will get him on the floor sooner rather than later. Grade: B+

9. Brooklyn Nets: Both Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (No. 23 via trade) and Chris McCullough (No. 29) deserve underrated labels. Hollis-Jefferson has areas where he needs to improve (shooting mainly) but all the pieces are there for him to be special. Argentina project Juan Vaulet (No. 39) won't be available for a while but he's nice to have late in the draft. Grade: B+

10. Chicago Bulls: While Fred Hoiberg could have used a guard, Bobby Portis (No. 22) is a high-energy big man who could fit in perfectly with an already-strong front line. Pau Gasol was hurt a lot last year and Portis' arrival can only help a talented core. Grade: B+

Jahlil Okafor drafted No. 3 overall by 76ers With the 3rd overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft the Philadelphia 76ers select Jahlil Okafor.

11. Philadelphia 76ers: They had six picks but only one that really mattered. With Russell off the board, the Sixers took the best talent available in Jahlil Okafor (No. 3), who could end up being more of a franchise guy than Nerlens Noel or Joel Embiid. Philadelphia still needs a guard, though, so a trade might be in the works. Guillermo Hernangomez (No. 35). Richaun Holmes (No. 37). Arturas Gudaitis (No. 47), J.P. Tokoto (No. 58) and Luka Mitrovic (No. 60) rounded out the rest of the picks. Grade: B.

12. Utah Jazz: Trey Lyles perhaps had to sacrifice his game the most of any NBA-caliber guy in John Calipari's platoon-style system. He'll get a chance to fully blossom in Utah. Olivier Hanlan (No. 42) was a solid scorer at Boston College and the Canadian has international playing experience. Grade: B.

13. Phoenix Suns: Drafting Kentucky's backcourt wasn't a bad strategy. Devin Booker (No. 13) has Klay Thompson potential with his shooting ability. Andrew Harrison (No. 44) improved his decision-making over two years with the Wildcats and at 6-5, has the frame to be a decent backup PG immediately. Grade: B.

14. Toronto Raptors: They traded Greivis Vasquez to make room for NBA-ready point guard Delon Wright (No. 20). Norman Powell (No. 46) has athleticism and ample experience from UCLA. Grade: B.

15. Washington Wizards: Kelly Oubre (No. 15, acquired via trade) is far from a finished product but has the capability to give Washington an explosive 3 who plays great defense. His game has holes, but they're fixable. Aaron White (No. 49) is the other pick here. Grade: B-

2015 NBA draft winners and losers USA Today Sports' Derek Bodner examines the winners and losers from the 2015 NBA draft.

16. Boston Celtics: At first there was a lot of headscratching going on. Terry Rozier (No. 16) might have still been around at No. 28 if the Celtics didn't pick him. Nevertheless, they got a guard who's electric in transition and so-so in the halfcourt. R.J. Hunter (No. 28) was still available late in the first round and that's a bank pick. Marcus Thornton (No. 45), another guard, shows Brad Stevens and the Celtics are stockpiling up on good guards. Jordan Mickey (No. 33) provides NBA-ready defense and shot-blocking but needs to make strides offensively. Grade: B.

17. Sacramento Kings: Willie Cauley-Stein (No. 6) was drafted too high. That being said, he's got doses of Tyson Chandler and Dennis Rodman in him and he's clearly the best defensive player in the draft. His offense might not ever be there, though. Grade: C.

18. San Antonio Spurs: Regardless of what kind of picks they have, the Spurs always make smart choices. This seems to be the case again. Serbian center Nikola Milutinov (No. 26) might not come over right away but Tim Duncan might not retire right away either. He has potential, under Gregg Popovich's guidance, to be a nice NBA player. Cady Lalanne (No. 55) didn't have much of a spotlight in college at UMass, but he's got the pieces to be a mainstay. Grade: B.

19. Orlando Magic: Croatian small forward Mario Hezonja (No. 5) seems like an odd fit here, especially with Winslow, Mudiay and other still on the board. He's a risk, but a good one at that based on his shooting and slashing. Tyler Harvey (No. 51) was one of the nation's best scorers in college basketball. He'll find a way on the floor at the next level. Grade: B.

20. Dallas Mavericks: Justin Anderson (No. 21) made huge strides at Virginia and seems to be getting even better. At 6-6, he's a wing capable of playing solid defense and knocking down open shots, which is exactly what Dallas needs. Satnam Singh (No. 52) is the first India native to get drafted. Grade: B.

21. New Orleans Pelicans: With this being their only pick, it didn't make sense to gamble like most teams do in the second round. So the Pelicans got a proven and experienced winner at the college level, Branden Dawson (No. 56). Grade: B.

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22. Indiana Pacers: Myles Turner (No. 11) isn't a finished product, but his tools and versatility make this a good pick. Joseph Young (No. 43) was a lights out scorer at Oregon and knows how to create for himself as an undersized guard. His chip-on-your-shoulder style could be a nice boost. Grade: B-

23. Cleveland Cavaliers: The Cavs have needs, evidenced in the NBA Finals. They didn't seem to get any guys who can help right away in their draft picks — Cedi Osman (No. 31) might not come over right away from Turkey and Rakeem Christmas (No. 36) and Sir'Dominic Pointer (No. 53) are talented yet unspectacular bigs. Grade: C.

24. Milwaukee Bucks: Rashad Vaughn (No. 17) is a volume shooter who could fit in nicely alongside Michael Carter-Williams, but there were better options at the board at that point. Grade: C.

25. Memphis Grizzlies: The Grizz need shooters. Jarell Martin (No. 25) is not one. He's a 6-10 husky power forward. Grade: C-

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26. Portland Trailblazers: Pat Connaughton (No. 41) is a legit sleeper in this draft based on his casual rise at Notre Dame and the fact that everyone thought he'd be playing professional baseball for the Orioles. But considering the Blazers shipped away the No. 23 pick (Hollis Jefferson) in a big trade, it's hard to bask in Connaughton being the prized rookie. Grade: C-.

27. Charlotte Hornets: Seriously, MJ? Even if Frank Kaminksy (No. 9) pans out to reach his full NBA potential as a soft-shooting big man who poses matchup nightmares, this was a little too high for the national player of the year in the NCAA. Grade: D+

28. Detroit Pistons: Stanley Johnson (No. 8) is a nice pick, but Justise Winslow would have been better. Johnson was the primary catalyst at Arizona but that role showed lots of holes in his game — namely inconsistent shooting. Darrun Hill (No. 38) is a guard who will need to make adjustments to fit in at the pro level. Grade: D-

29. Atlanta Hawks: If the Hawks weren't trying to save money, their trade of the No. 15 pick for Tim Hardaway Jr. would be one dumb move. Well, it's still dumb. Then they drafted two unknown foreign players — Spain's Marcus Eriksson (No. 50) and Greece's Dimitrios Agravanis (No. 59). Grade: F.

30. Los Angeles Clippers: N/A.

FIRST ROUND NBA DRAFT PICKS