Evan Fournier and Quincy Miller aren’t going to help the Denver Nuggets win the NBA Finals next year, but it brightens the franchise’s future.

The young duo are both young prospects with a very bright futures. Sure they don’t match the attractiveness of last season’s draft picks of Kenneth Faried and Jordan Hamilton, but their ceiling is much higher.

Both prospects are 19 years old with an advanced skill level. Fournier may be the more NBA-ready player and while Nuggets fans weren’t exactly thrilled with Fournier pick, it’s tough to see a big weakness in Fournier’s game. He has great size, solid athleticism, a good jump shot and can score with the best of them. He also has a mature level of understanding of the game and should continue to develop facets to the game.

In fact, Denver Nuggets Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations Masai Ujiri had this to say about the French star:

He’s very confident. His game is the same way. He doesn’t back down.

Fournier, who was 24 on our big board, showed off his talents at the Eurocamp earlier this month. He scored 12 points with ease, creating his shot and also showing off good court vision.

There is a chance that Fournier may be on the Nuggets roster this season and his desire is to play in the NBA this season. However, it might be more beneficial for him to stay overseas (he signed contract extension with Poitiers Basket through 2013). Denver is considering Jordan Hamilton as their rookie this season and will see how Fournier fits into the rotation next season.

In the long run the Nuggets will have a logjam at shooting guard (much like they currently do at small forward) with Arron Afflalo, Hamilton and Fournier.

Miller has the bigger upside of the two players, his game and size is great for the pro level. As long as he proves he can stay healthy and eagerness to get better, Miller may be the biggest find in the 2012 Draft.

Ujiri said this about Miller after the draft:

This was a top five high school player in America, a McDonald’s All-American, we feel like we got a pretty good young player.  19 years old, he blew his knee out and that’s why he (is where he is).  He struggled a little bit coming off his ACL (tear) his freshman year at Baylor.  We followed him quite a bit.  Seeing him play when he was younger, I saw him play in the American championships.  He played with Austin Rivers and all of those guys and he was the best player on the team.  I even saw him hit a game winner for Team USA (2010 FIBA Americas U-18 Championship) in San Antonio (Texas).  He was a fantastic player until he blew out his knee in December (2010).  It has kind of kept him down the last year.

Miller and Fournier join a Nuggets squad which currently has six players under the age of 24.

They aren’t the sexiest players in the draft, but it’s tough to find two that have a much higher stock.

Mar 10, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Austin Rivers (0) lays the ball up against the Florida State Seminoles in the second half during the semi-finals of the 2012 ACC Men

Every year there are some prospects that are over hyped in the draft, here are few that we don’t believe will live up to their hype.

AUSTIN RIVERS: Rivers has been one of the most hyped prospects over the past few years – mainly because he is the son of current Boston Celtics coach and former NBA player Doc Rivers. However, what did Austin Rivers do at Duke that was so special? He hit one big shot vs. UNC, but still didn’t score at a great rate. In fact he was a below average shooter, shooting below 44 percent from the field and 66 percent from the free throw line. He is a good ballhandler, but isn’t a great passer. He is also a bit undersized and has been known as a selfish player. No doubt he has a role in the NBA, but not at as big of stage as some people has projected.

ROYCE WHITE: White is one of the most versatile players in the NBA. He has great ballhandling and passing skills for a player his size. He also is a good rebounder and a not too shabby defender. But the problem is that most NBA teams will use him as a power forward at the next level, where he may struggle because he is undersized (6-foot-8) and lacks any refined post moves. He also isn’t a great shooter and will have to beat most defenders off the dribble to score. He did an adequate job in college on the defensive side of the ball, but he will have to depend on quickness and speed to hold his own in the NBA. The best comparison to White is Anthony Mason, but Mason was an intimidating defender and can stretch the floor a bit. White should find a place in the NBA, but not as valuable of one that many believe.

ANDRE DRUMMOND: Drummond may be the most physically gifted player in the draft and also one of the youngest (18 years old), which has a lot of scouts drooling over his potential. But what has he accomplished? He wasn’t a great rebounder during his one season at Connecticut and he also wasn’t much of a defensive threat. He was a good shotblocker, but not great. Especially not one you could build around. Drummond’s ovreall game is way too raw for the NBA right now and he is closer to Kwame Brown than Andrew Bynum.

FAB MELO: Melo was considered the anchor to Syracuse’s stout defense last year and many thought he was a lock for the lottery. However, Melo’s academic struggles kept him out of the NCAA Tournament and his athletic ability graded much lower than what many expected at the Draft Combine. It doesn’t help that Melo was a below average rebounder for his size in college and has virtually no offensive game.

DRAYMOND GREEN: Green dominated the college level at Michigan State. He was a great rebounder, solid scorer and great passer. He also did a solid job manning the middle for Tom Izzo’s team. It’s tough to see how Green’s game will translate to the next level. He doesn’t have the athletic ability or the size to play in the post in the NBA and he lacks the quickness to be a small forward. It also doesn’t help that not many players from Michigan State pan out in the NBA.