Most non-NBA diehards turn off the TV after the first round of the draft finishes up, maybe even sooner, but that would be a mistake this year.
While the group of true superstar talents may be two deep, the number of future NBA role players is as deep as ever, with late second-round selections expected to play contributing roles in the league for a long time.
Not to mention, all you have to do is watch a game from Nikola Jokic or Draymond Green to see just how good second-round selections can end up being.
So, with two picks in the NBA Draft’s final round, here are five players the Denver Nuggets should be targeting:
Thon Maker, Canada
Age: 19 years old Size: 7’1, 225 pounds
Last Season’s Stats: 11.2 points; 6.7 rebounds; 2.1 blocks per game.
Percentages: None Available
Thon Maker has been slated to go in all kinds of different spots. While him falling to a later second-round selection seems unlikely, truly anything is possible in this year’s draft. If he is available for the Nuggets to select at either the 53rd pick or the 56th pick, he would be worthy just based on his upside alone.
Maker has the ability to stretch the court from the center position and runs the floor extremely well. His immense length makes up for a lot of strength issues. Having a 9-foot-3 standing reach gives him upside as a shot-blocker and rebounder, and his 7-foot-3 wingspan gives him defensive upside on the perimeter if forced to switch out.
The biggest slight against Maker is his overall awareness of the game. He does not fully grasp basic fundamental basketball principles. While a lot has to do with his age and the lack of competition he played against in high school, some of the blame needs to be shouldered by Thon. He has relied on his physical talents his entire life and now he needs to begin polishing his entire game.
While Maker clearly needs more development, as a pure upside pick it is hard to not like what he brings to the team. Centers who can shoot, run the floor, blocks shots and have the tools to eventually switch on the perimeter are traits rarely found.
Caris LeVert, Michigan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvsm3OKKd0k
Age: 21 years old Size: 6’7, 200 pounds
Last Season’s Stats: 16.4 points; 5.4 rebounds; 4.9 assists per game
Percentages: 50% from the field; 45% from three-point; 78.8% from the free throw line
Caris LeVert is going to make a franchise extremely happy one day. Like most of his peers, no one has any real idea of where LeVert will be going on draft day, but it seems most likely it will be closer to the middle of the second round. If the Nuggets find themselves able to draft LeVert in the late second round, they should be jumping with joy.
There is almost nothing LeVert cannot do. He is a fluid athlete that brings a huge frame for a guard. To be 6-foot-7 and have a wingspan close to seven feet as a backcourt player offers many benefits. LeVert is able to use his length and size to see over defenders and use passing lanes most guards can’t see. He also has the ability to shoot over defenders in the pick and roll or in isolation due to his extreme length. LeVert has a subtly quick first step and the control with the ball in his hands to wreck havoc on the paint. Using his strong, long frame, he finishes at the rim well.
Not only can he do it all, but he does it in the smartest way possible. LeVert’s basketball IQ is extremely high and he plays the right way. He is a coach’s dream. To be able to score from the post, three-point, as a slasher, or in isolation and play solid defense is rare.
If not for his injury history he may be a lottery pick. Having three separate left foot injures and only playing 31 games in two years is impossible to look past, but if available in the late second round, how could the Nuggets not at least take a flier on a lottery type talent?
Ben Bentil, Providence
Age: 21 years old Size: 6’8, 230 pounds
Last Season’s Stats: 21.1 points; 7.7 rebounds; 1.1 assists per game
Percentages: 46.2% from the field; 32.9% from three-point; 78.2% from the free throw line
Ben Bentil has the tools. He can fire from the NBA three-point line or use his strong and stocky frame to muscle his way into the low post and use his jump hook. He is a light-footed and mobile power forward with NBA level range. He can be the prototypical stretch-four in the modern NBA.
Bentil has a 7-foot-1 wingspan and is a bulky 230 pounds. He has the strength to gain position where he wants and uses his ability to shoot from the perimeter to create space. He can score from the low block or high post and can play with his back to the basket or face up and shoot over his defender. Bentil still has pretty bad court awareness, which has hurt his game as a rim runner, but if he can polish his understanding he could become a force in the pick and roll as well.
While Providence never asked him to play defense, he did not really put much effort in himself either. He seems distant and uninterested on defense the majority of the time. He fails to block out and often doesn’t even bother to get down into a defensive stance on the perimeter. Bentil’s defensive game reminds me a lot of Kenneth Faried. He has the tools and ability to defend at a high level, but just chooses not to.
Adding a stretch-four is needed for the Nuggets, but I am not sure Bentil is that guy. He is worth a flier in the late second round, but he will not contribute right away and his ceiling is not very high. With an already jammed front court, it would be surprising to see Bentil in a Nuggets uniform.
Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia
Age: 23 years old Size: 6’5, 225 pounds
Last Season’s Stats: 18.2 points; 4.1 rebounds; 3.1 assists per game
Percentages: 45.7% from the field; 39.1% from three-point; 89.7% from the free throw line
Malcolm Brogdon could be highly valuable once the more versatile players start to fall off of the board. Brogdon is one of the more polished and NBA-ready prospects in this draft. He is slated to go anywhere in the second round.
Brogdon brings an elite skill with him: defense. Using his 6-foot-11 wingspan, coupled with his strong 225-pound frame, he managed to guard four different positions for Virginia throughout the year. He is a vocal defensive leader on the court and never gets out of a stance. He is incredibly intelligent and tough as nails. Having that type of defensive versatility is the way the NBA has been moving the past few seasons.
His offensive game has been cleaned up and polished very nicely as well. Brogdon shot 39.1 percent from three-point, has learned to be one of the smarter off-ball cutters, developed a floater for his mid-range game, and cleaned up his ball handling so he could play more in the pick and roll. Add in the extra space of playing at the NBA level and Brogdon’s passing game could become more of a factor as well.
Overall Brogdon brings versatility, size and the ability to contribute from day one. He may not be able to jump out of the gym, and he is one of the oldest players in the draft, but there is a reason the NBA invited him to be on the USA select team with current Nuggets Gary Harris and Emmanuel Mudiay. He can make a team very happy right away.
Georgrios Papagiannis, Greece
Age: 18 years old Size: 7’2, 250 pounds
Last Season’s Stats: 5.5 points; 2.5 rebounds; 0.5 assists per game
Percentages: 68% from the field; N/A from three-point; 66.7% from the free throw line
If the Nuggets are looking for a draft-and-stash player in the late second round, look no further than Papagiannis. The Greek center is a mobile and athletic center that boasts a humongous frame at a minuscule age. To be 18 years old and already 7-foot-2 and 250 pounds with coordination is staggering.
Papagiannis runs the court extremely well and uses his length, size, and quickness to gain position in the post. He projects as a solid rim-runner and, based off of his free throw stroke, could develop a mid-range jump shot. Experience is not an issue either, being that he has been playing professionally in Greece since he was 14 years old.
The biggest drawback with Papagiannis is how blatantly uninterested he can be defensively. He is slow, not as tough as you would think, relies on his size too much, and gives up on defensive possession much too easily. His offensive versatility is nothing to get excited for, either. He’s not very good diving after setting screens and has no jump shot yet. He is out of condition and tends to be lazy.
If the Nuggets have to make a selection they have no room for on the roster and need to draft-and-stash it makes sense to take a chance on a higher upside type center like Papagiannis. If he can develop a jump shot and buy in defensively he could become a force in time. Look for the Nuggets to think about him with either second round pick.