Best fits for top four NBA draft picks

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."

Following Tuesday's NBA draft lottery, we finally have the official order for the 2015 draft. Both Chad and Kevin have their own Big Boards and now it's time for them to play general manager, weighing in on the best fits for teams making the first four picks: the Timberwolves, Lakers, 76ers and Knicks.

First up: the Minnesota Timberwolves

If you were drafting for the Timberwolves, whom would you take No. 1?

Ford: Karl-Anthony Towns. I think five guys in this draft are worthy of the No. 1 pick, but the choice in Minnesota would be an easy one for me. Not only do I think Towns is the best player in the draft, but I also think he fits a need. The Wolves have a talented young point guard in Ricky Rubio and a dynamic wing in Andrew Wiggins, so what they need now is a dominant big. Towns' ability to score inside and out, combined with his rim-protection abilities, make him the perfect choice. Yes, they have Gorgui Dieng and Nikola Pekovic, but Pekovic isn't going to be a big part of their future. Plus, I think that because of Towns' versatility, he and Dieng could play together.

Pelton: Agreed on Towns. Last season opponents shot a league-high 67.2 percent against the Timberwolves in the restricted area, per NBA.com/Stats, a number that figures to come down with Towns patrolling the rim. While I think Dieng has the potential to be a full-time starter down the road, let me throw out this possible partner for Towns in the frontcourt: Nemanja Bjelica, the Serbian forward Minnesota acquired in the second round of the 2010 draft who was recently named Euroleague MVP. Bjelica projects as an above-average NBA player based on his translated European statistics.

The Los Angeles Lakers have the next pick. Whom would you take No. 2?

Ford: That's a much tougher one, but my first instinct is to say Jahlil Okafor. The Lakers could use a center and Okafor is going to be a beast on offense. But I don't know that he's an ideal fit next to last year's lottery pick, Julius Randle. And I think it would be tough to pass on D'Angelo Russell or even Emmanuel Mudiay here. Jordan Clarkson had a great rookie season but he's not the talent that Russell or Mudiay is. The Lakers could especially use Russell's shooting. I'm going to stick with Okafor but it's very, very close between him, Russell and Mudiay.

Pelton: In the event the Timberwolves take Okafor, the Lakers should rush to pick Towns as soon as possible. Don't even use the whole five minutes -- too risky! Otherwise, I'm leaning toward Russell. The Ohio State guard comes out as the best prospect in the draft by my WARP projections, and I have too many questions about Okafor's ability to anchor a top defense. Though he had a promising rookie season, I don't think Clarkson is good enough to sway me from going with the best player available.

The Philadelphia 76ers are on the clock with the third pick. Whom would you take?

Ford: Russell. I actually think Sixers fans can take a deep breath that they ended up with the third pick. With Okafor and Towns off the board, they're free to address their biggest need in the backcourt. I'm a huge Mudiay fan, but the Sixers really need shooting assistance and I think Russell's confidence will be a huge boon for them. He's a leader in a way that Michael Carter-Williams never was.

Pelton: I love the fit of Russell in Philadelphia. He can be the perimeter counterweight Philadelphia needs to balance its promising young big men. In this scenario, with Russell off the board, I think I would go Mudiay because I'm not convinced Okafor is a better prospect than a healthy Joel Embiid. The really bold move (if the draft played out like this) would be for general manager Sam Hinkie to take Okafor and try to extract a ransom from the New York Knicks for him, along the lines of last year's Elfrid Payton-Dario Saric swap that netted the Sixers the return of their protected 2017 first-round pick plus the 35th pick in this year's draft.

Finally, the New York Knicks have the fourth pick. Any hope left in Gotham?

Ford: Absolutely. I really am a big fan of Mudiay and think he has the game and maturity to be a star in New York. He's not a great fit in the triangle, but I don't think you can pass on him just because of that. The Knicks need a potential star and I believe Mudiay could be one -- and sooner than later. I'll also point out here that on my own Big Board, Kristaps Porzingis is very worthy of this pick. I just don't know that they can take him in New York without getting booed out of the city.

Pelton: In my scenario, New York would still land Okafor despite dropping to the fourth pick, which would be an excellent result. In reality, Okafor will probably be off the board, leaving the Knicks choosing between Mudiay and Porzingis. Let me make the case for Porzingis. Having succeeded against far tougher competition in Spain, he figures to have more immediate impact, and he's only seven months older than Mudiay. Also, I have some concerns about how well Mudiay -- a poor shooter whose best attribute will probably be running the pick-and-roll -- will fit in the triangle offense. There's flexibility there, but a pick-and-roll-heavy style isn't what team president Phil Jackson and coach Derek Fisher ideally want to play. I would take Porzingis.