Who Would The Nuggets Select With The Kings Pick?
Denver Post’s Chris Dempsey shed some light on who the Denver Nuggets may select if they were to trade up.
Among the players listed, if the Nuggets trade into the latter half of the top 10, are Klay Thompson, Alec Burks, Jimmer Fredette, Bismack Biyombo, Marcus Morris or Kawhi Leonard. (Earlier this month, we discussed the Nuggets moving up to select Burks, Fredette, Derrick Williams or Kemba Walker.)
Thompson – He is a pure shooter, but lacks athleticism, speed and isn’t a great defender. He could develop into a dangerous shooter, or he could, and more than likely, become a zone-buster similar to Marco Bellinelli, Jason Kapono and Matt Carroll. He also got himself with marijuana possession and was suspended fore the game. The Nuggets could be trading up to select him, because he has wowed a few teams in workouts. In fact, he likely won’t drop past Golden State at 10 – and that is if the Milwaukee Bucks don’t draft him first. I’d pass on him, not a big enough ceiling to take a chance on.
Burks – The former CU star has struggled with injuries and his stock is dropping, so it isn’t likely that Denver would trade up to select him. He does have great size, athleticism and is very mature for his age. He still isn’t a reliable shooter, but has been working on that. He could develop into a Brandon Roy/Evan Turner-type, if he has the same drive, but again he isn’t worth trading up to the 7th pick to draft. I’d pass, the Nuggets can get better players that early in the draft.
Fredette –Jimmer would fit a huge role for the Nuggets, as both a closer and bench spark. He has a winners mentality and has proven to be at least to be an average defender. He is player that could help immediately and give a team like Denver a scoring spark. However, there are reports that some among the organization don’t like Fredette’s game, so this is not likely. Maybe, if he fits in Denver.
Biyombo – This Congo-native is a freak, but extremely raw. His stock has dropped due to his poor showing and knowledge on the offensive side of the ball. But that isn’t what teams are drafting him for. They are drafting him because of his size, athleticism, tenacity on the boards and his potential on defense. Biyombo’s wingspan is 7-foot-6 is only slightly shorter than Hasheem Thabeet and his standing reach almost mirrors Dwight Howard’s. Biyombo has a long way to go to be a good pro big man and is much closer to Ben Wallace than Howard, but in a weak draft a player like him is always worth a gamble. Maybe, as long Denver gets something else out of the draft – a player that can help out immediately.
Morris – I am not a fan of the Morris twins. I thought they were a bit overrated on the college ranks, and I still believe so. However, both twins have their advantages and Marcus Morris may be the more skilled twin (and smaller one, too), he can shoot the ball and is versatile enough to play both forward position. His game mocks current Nugget’ player Al Harrington. He is very intense and can help immediately. He would be one of the few players in the draft that can help the Nuggets out immediately. Definitely, he can help immediately and can be a nice role player for the Nuggets.
Leonard – When rumors came out that the Nuggets may be trading up, Leonard was the only player that came to my mind for them to trade up to draft. He has a very high ceiling and can develop into a very complete and versatile player. His shooting and offensive game is the main part of his game he needs to work on, but despite being only 20, he has shown a lot of growth in that part of his game. He already has an NBA-body and athleticism and shown the ability to be a shutdown defense and can dominate the glass. Definitely, he has potential to be a star in the League and can help out now.