The Denver Nuggets continue to workout potential draft picks and reports on a potential head coach remain quiet in the wake of a front office shakeup as the 2015 NBA draft quickly approaches.
Denver will workout five players Monday:
Gilvydas Biruta – Rhode Island, 6-8, 240, Forward
Trey Lyles – Kentucky, 6-10, 240, Forward
DJ Newbill – Penn State, 6-4, 210, Guard
Cameron Payne – Murray State, 6-2, 180, Guard
Nikola Radicevic – Serbia, 6-5, 200, Guard
Any of these players could represent Denver’s pick at No. 57. Excerpts from Draftexpress.com say this about each of them:
Biruta: 6-8, with long arms, a big frame that is currently lacking definition, and athleticism that initially appears to be below average, Biruta doesn’t overwhelm you on first glance. He’s a tough guy, though, and a better athlete than he gets credit for, running the floor well and getting off the ground for a couple of impressive finishes in transition and put-back dunks.
Lyles: He had an up and down season individually on the whole, a product of playing out of position, but had some nice moments as Kentucky went undefeated until the NCAA Final Four, where they lost to Wisconsin. Lyles’ playing time and production increased steadily as the year moved on, particularly after the season-ending injury to Alex Poythress, and he ended up developing into a very important cog for John Calipari, drawing significant praise throughout the year for his skill-level and smarts, calling him an “x-factor” and “as good as any player in the country.”
Newbill: Newbill was a prolific college scorer, averaging 18.6 points per 40 minutes pace adjusted while shooting 48.5% from 2’s and 37% from 3 his senior season. He was asked to do it all for the Nittany Lions on the offensive end, attempting 14.2 field goal attempts per 40 minutes pace adjusted while playing 37.1 minutes per night.
Payne: Payne biggest appeal as a NBA prospect is the terrific blend he displays between scoring and passing. He shouldered a huge amount of offense for Murray State … He’s an extremely unselfish player who passes with great creativity and loves to move the ball ahead in transition, either utilizing his excellent ball-handling skills or by finding the open man running the floor.
Radicevic: Standing 6’5, possibly taller, Radicevic’s size for a point guard has always been a key part of his value proposition in the European game and is also significant to his NBA potential. Able to see over the defense, Radicevic can make passes small guards simply can’t. Only an average athlete by NBA standards, Radicevic has some quickness, but isn’t a great leaper and appears more fluid than explosive making plays with the ball in his hands. His lack of athleticism is somewhat of a concern projecting him to the NBA style of play, but his size does help.
In other Nuggets news, Michael Malone has been named next head coach, according to reports.
Malone interviewed with Denver prior to the Nuggets hiring former Kings GM Pete D’Alessandro. Malone was fired by Sacramento during the 2014-15 season amid rumors of a difference in philosophy between the front office and coaching staff.