Draft night did not go as planned for the Denver Nuggets. Coming into the night, trade rumors surrounding Jimmy Butler and Eric Bledsoe filled Denver with optimism. That optimism was fleeting, though, as both trades fell through. After trading out of the No. 13 pick to No. 24, Denver was once again hopeful as O.G. Anunoby continued to fall. However, the Toronto Raptors picked up the defensive specialist one pick before the Nuggets to dismantle the last of Tim Connelly’s big plans coming into the night.
But as the draft came to a close on Thursday night, a quiet little cyclone made its way from Ames, Iowa to the Mile High City to give the Nuggets a win during a night full of perceived losses.
It’s essential to understand that Monte Morris is not a player who flashes star potential in this league. Because of that, his second-round selection by the Denver Nuggets has generated yawns throughout Denver. But Morris was not drafted to be a star in today’s NBA. That’s not what his skill set calls for, and it’s certainly not what made him so productive at Iowa State.
While Morris lacks the upside of a top-10 potential star, he makes up for it with two traits uncommon in this year’s draft class: Experience and ball protection.
A four-year player at Iowa State, Morris has as much on-court experience as anyone selected Thursday night. Playing in the Big 12, he competed against some of the nation’s top competition on a nightly basis. Not only that, he excelled against that competition. Last year, Morris was a unanimous selection of the All-Big 12 First Team. In his junior and sophomore seasons, Morris was an All-Big 12 Second Team member.
Morris’ greatest asset is ball security. Not only was Morris one of the best floor generals in college basketball last season, he is one of the smartest players with the ball in NCAA history. That is not hyperbole. Morris’ career assist-to-turnover ratio is 4.65. That number shattered the previous record of 3.01 held by Wisconsin’s Jordan Taylor. Last season, Morris averaged 5.17 assists-per-turnover, breaking his own single-season record for the stat. He did so while leading the Cyclones in scoring at 16.4 points per game.
It’s easy to see Morris running the point for the Denver Nuggets, one of the most prolific offenses in the NBA. His ability to take care of the ball is invaluable for the Nuggets, who ranked 23rd in turnovers per game last season. With plenty of perimeter shooters around him and athletic bigs to feed the ball, Morris has the ability to thrive in Denver, should he be given the opportunity.
Bringing Morris to Denver also makes Emmanuel Mudiay more expendable. Mudiay’s inconsistency in his first two years in Denver and prolonged benching last season show the franchise’s discontent with him. Mudiay is one of the team’s more reckless ball handlers averaging 2.8 turnovers per game in his first two seasons. Still just 21-years-old, Mudiay can certainly develop into something more than he is now.
But with a player of Morris’ mold in the mix, the Nuggets do not need to take that chance with Mudiay. Though not as enticing on paper as the top guards in the draft, Morris can bring a level of consistency to Denver that reclaims some bit of optimism in an otherwise disappointing night.
