The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft begins next week on Wednesday, June 26th. A second round takes place the next day. The Denver Nuggets currently possess the 28th and 56th overall picks. With the Nuggets coming off of a painful second round defeat in the playoffs, there’s no telling what General Manager Calvin Booth and the Nuggets brain trust decide to do. Will they keep the picks, trade up, trade down, or move them for a veteran contributor? Everything’s on the table, so let’s discuss a wide variety of players in this week’s NBA Draft Positional Previews.
Other Position Previews
Point Guards | Shooting Guards | Power Forwards
Five Small Forward Prospects
Nikola Djurisic – Serbia
Age: 20 | Height: 6’7″ | Weight: 209 | Wingspan: 6’8″
Per Game Stats: 29.9 minutes, 14.8 points, 3.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds, 3.2 turnovers
Shooting Splits: 44.4 FG%, 30.5 3P%, 76.3 FT%, 55.9 TS%
Nikola Djurisic is another young Serbian prospect who played for Mega Basket this season (Nikola Jokic’s old squad). He was solid throughout the year but truly elevated in the playoffs, showcasing a wide array of scoring and playmaking. He wasn’t an efficient shooter, but he demonstrated some really impressive traits. Other subpar shooters playing in high quality European leagues have found their shooting stroke when coming to the NBA, and Djurisic looks the part.
He’s a developmental scoring wing in the mold of a Bogdan Bogdanovic with a similar flair for passing and high level confidence. Whether the Nuggets are willing to wait for that development is another matter entirely. The theory of Djurisic playing a bench scoring role in Denver next to other defensive minded wings makes a lot of sense though, and if he’s on the board at 28th overall, he should be considered. Funnily enough, Bogdanovic was the 27th pick in the 2014 draft, but it took him until 2017 to make his NBA debut.
Pacome Dadiet – France
Age: 18 | Height: 6’7.8″ | Weight: 217 | Wingspan: 6’9″
Per Game Stats: 15.3 minutes, 6.6 points, 0.6 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 0.8 turnovers
Shooting Splits: 50.2 FG% 35.8 3P%, 74.4 FT%, 61.9 TS%
Pacome Dadiet is one of the youngest players in the draft class and still has a long way to go in his NBA development; however, the skill set appears to be there as an impact two-way wing. Dadiet is a capable pull-up jump shooter, particularly in the mid-range, and shows nice scoring touch all over the floor. He sees the floor pretty well, moves pretty well athletically, and projects to be a solid defender with his length and athleticism.
The issue: he’s still raw. He makes plenty of mistakes and would drive coaches crazy in the early going. The end of the journey might be worth it, but are teams like the Nuggets willing to wait? Similarly to Djurisic, Dadiet is a capable player at a position of future need, but his timeline may not line up with Jokic, and that’s an issue. He’s an option at 28th overall, but if he slides in the second round, he’s definitely worth a flyer.
Ryan Dunn – Virginia
Age: 21 | Height: 6’6.3″ | Weight: 214 | Wingspan: 7’1.5″
Per Game Stats: 27.5 minutes, 8.1 points, 0.8 assists, 6.9 rebounds, 0.8 turnovers
Shooting Splits: 54.8 FG% 20.0 3P%, 53.2 FT%, 56.4 TS%
The profile with Ryan Dunn is simple. He’s a Herb Jones or Andre Roberson type, and his jumper will determine which of those two he ends up becoming. Playing for a defensive minded program at Virginia, Dunn looks the part of a defensive stopper if he can stay on the floor. Some analysts are labeling him a power forward because of his lack of shooting, but he’s truly a defensive wing capable of switching onto just about anyone.
The Nuggets have someone like that already in Peyton Watson, and the Nuggets are happy with his development. I doubt Dunn is really an option for them, but if Watson was included in a deal to upgrade a starting spot in Denver’s rotation, then Dunn suddenly becomes more interesting. Calvin Booth isn’t trading Watson though, so it’s probably a moot point, but putting elite defenders around Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray is never a bad idea.
Baylor Scheierman – Creighton
Age: 23 | Height: 6’6.3″ | Weight: 202 | Wingspan: 6’8.3″
Per Game Stats: 36.8 minutes, 18.5 points, 3.9 assists, 9.0 rebounds, 2.2 turnovers
Shooting Splits: 44.8 FG% 38.1 3P%, 87.6 FT%, 59.6 TS%
Basically, take everything about Ryan Dunn and turn it upside down, and that’s Baylor Scheierman, a five-year wing out of Creighton who developed as an elite shooter and playmaker for the position. Scheierman can shoot on the move, while spotting up, and even create his own three-point opportunities off the dribble. He’s a versatile offensive player who saw his playmaking grow in a larger role. Add in that he’s a stout rebounder and there’s a lot to like here. He’s never going to be a great defender and isn’t a great athlete, but he doesn’t have to be to make an impact off the bench.
Scheierman will be a solid NBA player, and he will fill a role for a playoff team at some point. Sam Hauser just played the seventh man role for the Boston Celtics, and that seems like something Scheierman is capable of doing. Whether he’s the right pick for the Nuggets is up for debate, but not so secretly, the Nuggets were one of the worst shooting teams in the NBA this year. Adding a confident and versatile three-point shooter to the mix can only help.
Dillon Jones – Weber State
Age: 22 | Height: 6’4.5″ | Weight: 237 | Wingspan: 6’11”
Per Game Stats: 37.0 minutes, 20.8 points, 5.2 assists, 9.8 rebounds, 3.0 turnovers
Shooting Splits: 48.9 FG% 32.4 3P%, 85.7 FT%, 59.7 TS%
Dillon Jones is one of the more unique players in this draft class, built like a tank at 237 pounds while standing at just 6’4.5″ without shoes. He was highly successful at Weber State and dominated in a variety of ways, including as a primary playmaker for his team. Jones can navigate pick and roll, attack closeouts, and play bully ball in the post against smaller players. He’s not a dynamic three-point shooter, but he can do a bunch of different things as a connector or slasher.
Jones isn’t a considerable option for the 28th overall pick, but he’s a unique player that would work well with Jokic. Those two would play their own unique brand of bully ball and get to the rim constantly, and that’s an exciting thought for a Nuggets squad that needs creators. If he’s available late in the draft, Jones is the perfect two-way contract guy who could play in a pinch and surprise fans with just how good he can be
