Cheer up Nuggets fans, though Sunday’s loss to the Celtics places the Nuggets six games back from the last playoff seed, there’s plenty of light at the end of the tunnel.
Joe Rico and Alex Ramirez of The Final Word were joined on Sunday by Andrew Feinstein and Adam Mares of DenverStiffs.com to discuss the future of the Nuggets.
Though this season’s Nuggets aren’t much better than last year’s team at face value, there are intangible improvements that need to be taken into account.
“The team, from a record standpoint, isn’t that much better than the last two seasons, but the culture has completely reversed,” Feinstein said. “This Nugget team competes. When they lose they still lose within 10 points, seven points five points.”
In addition to an attitude change, fans can also get excited about the upcoming NBA Draft. A bizarre series of wins and losses by key teams could give the Nuggets quite a few first-round draft picks.
“It’s possible the Nuggets can have four first-round picks,” Feinstein said. “Likely they’ll have at least two and potentially three.”
The question is, what should the Nuggets do with all of those picks? Mares thinks they could possibly get their hands on a star.
“In the NBA you have to have that one guy, that Lebron James or Kevin Durant, that can take anybody one-on-one and I don’t think they have that guy,” Mares said.
Though everyone expects Ben Simmons of LSU to be the top pick, Mares would prefer 6-foot-9 Duke University freshman Brandon Ingram.
“If I had my pick of anybody in the draft, it’d probably be Brandon Ingram,” Mares said. “He’s lanky, really looks like Kevin Durant, just in build, and has an incredible jumper which is something the Nuggets need.”
The signs are encouraging, and with a possible four first-round draft picks, Nuggets fans can start getting excited, because the future looks bright.
Listen to the full discussion in the podcast below…
https://soundcloud.com/milehighsports/2-21-16-alex-joe-talk-future-nuggets-bball-nba-draft-potential-prospects-with-denver-stiffs
Catch The Final Word with Joe Rico and Alex Ramirez every Sunday from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Mile High Sports AM 1340 or stream live any time for the best coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.