Denver Nuggets Not Expecting Immediate Impact from First-Round Draft Pick

Apr 20, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Evan Fournier (94) and guard Ty Lawson (3) on the bench during the second half of game one of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Nuggets currently hold the number 11 pick in this June’s NBA Draft. While fans like to dream that a 19-year old kid will be plucked from the college ranks and change the short-term fortunes of the team in an instant, the Nuggets’ front office is taking a more reserved approach to the draft process.

Nuggets General Manager Tim Connelly recently sat down with the guys from The Press Box at The Denver Post, and he shed some light on the team’s expectations for a player selected at the 11 spot:

"“I think we’re honest with ourselves, the 11th pick on a team that should be in the playoffs generally doesn’t have a huge impact from Day 1,” [Connelly] said. “Very few rookies had any impact this year on playoff teams. As our roster is presently constituted, who knows how we’re going to look after the draft. I think it’s unfair to put too much emphasis on the 11th pick.”"

Connelly goes on to say that he’s not putting much stock on the workouts of various prospects, instead focusing on learning more about the players from a character standpoint because the team doesn’t “want to sign or draft jerks.”