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ESPN Senior Writer- Senior NBA Writer for ESPN.com
- ESPN Insider NBA Draft Analyst since 2002
- Writes ESPN's NBA Draft Top 100 and Lottery Mock Draft
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ESPN Senior Writer- Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series
- Formerly a consultant with the Indiana Pacers
- Developed WARP rating and SCHOENE system
Mock Draft 2.0 | Big Board 5.0 | Top 100
ESPN Insider's Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton return to provide the kind of discussions that are happening in front offices around the NBA -- where scouts and statistical experts are breaking down NBA draft prospects using their "eyes, ears and numbers."
Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns is the second-highest-ranked big man on Ford's Big Board (No. 3). However, his numbers aren't dominant. Why does he warrant a high draft ranking? Insider's NBA draft experts weigh in on that as well as other topics, including NBA comps for Towns, other bigs in the 2015 draft class who could flourish at the next level, and players who have recently emerged as draft sleepers.
Why is Karl-Anthony Towns ranked so high on the Big Board?
Chad Ford: While Big Board No. 1 Jahlil Okafor is a more dominating presence offensively, Towns has been equally good defensively for Kentucky this season. He's an elite shot-blocker and a very good rebounder who has the agility to get out and guard both 4s and 5s at the NBA level. He's a much more fluid athlete than Okafor, which I think largely accounts for his superior defense.
Offensively, Towns hasn't been as dominant.