In just a few days, a few ping pong balls could decide the fate of the Denver Nuggets franchise. A lucky bounce and Denver could be looking at drafting the NBA’s next great superstar. Status quo and the Nuggets could be hoping they find a rotational player.
The NBA Lottery may seem like a childish way to decide something as important as the No. 1 pick, but it’s unquestionably exciting, especially this season.
While every offseason is important, this offseason could be franchise defining for the Nuggets. They’ve got the building blocks for a contending team in place, but they’re missing the final component, the transcendent talent that pushes the organization from interesting to great.
Could that missing component be a point guard? Well, no, not in that sense. The Nuggets already have that in Emmanuel Mudiay. But they could use another young point guard, a guy who can run the bench unit, in their backcourt.
With three first-round draft picks and two more seconds, here are five point guards the Nuggets should be targeting:
5. Marcus Paige
Experience: Senior Size: 6-foot-0, 157 pounds
Last Season: 12.6 points; 2.8 assists; 2.5 rebounds; .398 FG%; .356 3P%
A disappointing senior season dropped Marcus Paige from a potential first-round pick to a late second-rounder, but if the Nuggets are looking to take a chance on an experienced kid who’s played in big-time games against big-time opponents, this is their guy.
Paige may never be a starting point guard in the NBA, but the Nuggets wouldn’t need him to be. If he can come off the bench and be a pure scorer, he’ll be doing his job. And with the talent he’s shown, especially in his sophomore and junior seasons, he could turn into a heck of a second-round draft pick, even if it takes a year or two for him to find his niche.
4. Kris Dunn
Experience: Junior Size: 6-foot-4, 220 pounds
Last Season: 16.4 points; 6.2 assists; 5.3 rebounds; .448 FG%; .372 3P%
In the NFL, team’s pride themselves on drafting for “best player available,” but in the NBA, where there are only ever five players on the court at a given time, it can make much more sense to target a position of need, even if that means passing up on the most talented prospect on the board.
The Denver Nuggets would be faced with that dilemma if Kris Dunn managed to fall into their lap at No. 7/8 (depending on how the lottery plays out).
Dunn is far and away the best pure point guard in this year’s class and is projected to go in the top five by nearly every analysis, and if he’s available at the back half of the top 10, he’s sure to be the “best player available.” Could they find a way to pair him with Emmanuel Mudiay or would they be better off taking a more risky prospect at another position?
3. Dejounte Murray
Experience: Freshman Size: 6-foot-5, 170 pounds
Last Season: 16.1 points; 4.4 assists; 6.0 rebounds; .416 FG%; .288 3P%
The only freshman on this list, Dejounte Murray may have as much upside as any point guard in this draft class not named Chris Dunn. Honestly, he’s an Emmanuel Mudiay-light.
He’s got the size, the athleticism, the court vision, the defense and the questionable jumpshot. But is that enough to keep the Nuggets away?
In the mid-first round, the Nuggets could end up getting a top-10 talent, but would that mean much if he’s playing the exact role Mudiay already plays? Do you want two point guards with such similar skill sets or should Denver diversify?
2. Demetrius Jackson
Experience: Junior Size: 6-foot-1, 195 pounds
Last Season: 15.8 points; 4.7 assists; 3.5 rebounds; .451 FG%; .331 3P%
Demetrius Jackson is never going to be a star in the NBA, but he’s almost a lock to be a solid, accountable backup point guard, and that’s worth a lot in today’s NBA.
You could make the argument that the point guard position is the deepest position in the league, and that means that even second units are running out guards that can compete at a starter’s level. Having a guy you can count on behind Mudiay — a guy who might even be able to play with Mudiay, allowing him to play off ball — would be a huge asset.
Jackson is an extremely intelligent point guard, and his court vision and decision making can make up for his deficiencies as a pure scorer; he’s a guy who could complement Mudiay early and grow with him through the years.
1. Tyler Ulis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPLldikg7tg
Experience: Sophomore Size: 5-foot-9, 155 pounds
Last Season: 17.3 points; 7.0 assists; 3.0 rebounds; .434 FG%; .344 3P%
At first glance, it may be hard to understand why Ulis isn’t viewed as a top-10 selection. He put up all the numbers, he led one of the best teams in the nation and he has the it factor you want to see in a highly touted prospect.
And then you realize that he’s my height — which is not a positive for someone pursuing a career in basketball — and it starts to make more sense.
At 5-foot-9, there are serious questions about Ulis’ place in the NBA, but here’s what I know: The kid can flat out ball.
And after watching Isaiah Thomas earn a trip to the All-Star game this year, I’ll take my chances on a little point guard that can light it up from anywhere.
If Ulis is available when the Nuggets come on the board at 15, they should strongly consider selecting him; he could be their sixth man for a long time to come.