2015 NBA Draft: Who Teams Should Have Picked Based on Analytics

Picks 26 to 30

26. San Antonio Spurs - Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, SF

Yeah, this is in no way saying Kawhi Leonard and his 9.8 nERD need replaced. No. What does need some attention is a backup for Kawhi when he's either hurt or needs a breather. Marco Belinelli and Kyle Anderson combined for a nERD of -0.6 and a RPM -6.38. Hollis-Jefferson would have been a great fit defensively and an interesting offensive project for Pop.

27. Los Angeles Lakers - Cedi Osman, SF

Wesley Johnson is not the solution at small forward. His 2015 numbers say it all. Johnson managed a nERD of just -5.9 and a slightly less painful RPM of -0.78. The Lakers could've used a nice pick like this here over Larry Nance, Jr. -- who would likely be there for a second-round pick.

28. Boston Celtics - Anthony Brown, SG

In terms of nERD, Avery Bradley (-5.0) and Evan Turner (-4.6) brought up the rear on their Celtics squad and finished the year with a combined RPM of -5.12. For comparison, James Harden tallied an RPM of 7.83. Luckily, R.J. Hunter fell to Danny Ainge and the Celts here, so they didn't have a problem addressing a need.

29. Brooklyn Nets - Rakeem Christmas, PF/C

As Brook Lopez enters free agency and Mason Plumlee heads to Portland, the Nets could use some valuable bigs down low. Mirza Teletovic and Cory Jefferson's combined nERD of -3.4 and RPM of -1.26 isn't enough. The Nets picked a Syracuse big so they didn't do too bad -- Christmas just offers some more flexibility.

30. Golden State Warriors - Chris McCullough, PF

As reigning NBA champs, the Warriors don't have many -- if any -- weaknesses. They're pretty solid all around, especially when you consider the flexibility of their roster. But it's only a matter of time until David Lee and his 2.7 nERD rating heads elsewhere and they are left with somewhat of a need at power forward. This is where a player with Chris McCullough's talents could meet the unique talent requirements of this Warriors roster.