According to Mile Singer of the Denver Post, the Denver Nuggets are selecting Penn State guard Jalen Pickett with the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
#Nuggets strongly considering Penn State G Jalen Pickett at No. 32 is, source tells @denverpost.
— Mike Singer (@msinger) June 23, 2023
Pickett is a five-year college point guard who began his college career at Siena and transferred to Penn State. Standing at 6’2″ without shoes, Pickett makes up for a lack of height on the perimeter with strength, high IQ, and plenty of grit, averaging 7.4 rebounds per game in his final college season. Pickett is a strong player and very competitive and will bring an interesting wrinkle to the Nuggets roster as a backup point guard prospect.
Pickett averaged 17.8 points and 6.6 assists per game as a lead playmaker for the Nittany Lions. He’s described as a very, very solid college point guard with a unique NBA game. The Nuggets are making the bet on his smarts and work ethic, as well as his skill set to add to the roster in different ways. Jamal Murray just posted a 30-point triple-double in the Finals, and there’s some comparable levels of playmaking and rebounding that Pickett could translate to the NBA level. His scoring is a question mark, but the Nuggets will worry about that later.
The great thing about Pickett is that if his jumper translates, it’s easy to see him fitting into what the Nuggets are trying to do. Denver added Julian Strawther with their first selection and Hunter Tyson with their 37th pick. There’s a clear indication that the Nuggets are going for shooters and complementary players, an unsurprising move for a championship roster simply looking to maintain.
