Mar 10, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard John Jenkins (23) gestures after making a shot in the second half of their game against the Mississippi Rebels in the third round of the 2012 SEC Tournament at the New Orleans Arena. Vanderbilt won, 65-53. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-US PRESSWIRE

The Denver Nuggets didn’t wait long to start scouting for the NBA Draft.

Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post reported that the Nuggets brought in NBA prospects Terrence Ross, John Jenkins and Kyle Weems in for a workout on Wednesday.

Ross and Jenkins are the two intriguing prospects, both are projected to go in the first round and both brings assets that the Nuggets value and need.

March 1, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Washington Huskies guard Terrence Ross (31) during a stoppage in play against the Southern California Trojans during the second half at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

Ross, who was a sophomore, is quickly moving up the NBA board and may not be around when the Nuggets draft with the 20th pick.

He has great size for the 2-guard (6-foot-7, 197 pounds), brings a lot of athleticism and can really shoot the ball (.457 percent from the field, .371 from 3-point line and .776 from charity stripe). He even told Hochman that he’s comparable to JR Smith due to his athleticism and ability to shoot the ball. But he is no Smith, he’s far more consistent, longer and better on defense.

Ross is also a very good rebounder and has the length and mobility to be a force on defense in the NBA. He brings a lot of confidence to the floor and really over came adversity after playing for a very dysfunctional Washington team. Some scouts believe if he played for another squad his stock would be much higher.

Ross has been compared to Eddie Jones, DeMar DeRozan and Caron Butler.

It’s highly unlikely he’ll be around when Denver drafts, he may not even make it past the 15th pick. But if the Nuggets like what they see they should definitely move up to get Ross.

Mar 15, 2012; Albuquerque, NM, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores guard John Jenkins (23) attempts a shot while defended by Harvard Crimson guard Christian Webster (15) during the second half in the second round of the 2012 NCAA men

Unlike Ross, Jenkins should be around when the Nuggets draft. He doesn’t really have a very well-rounded game, but does one thing well and that is shoot the ball.

Jenkins, who left college as a junior,  finished his college career shooting over 40 percent from behind the 3-point line and he did it consistently. He also is almost automatic from the charity stripe too. He has shown good ball-handling skills, which helps him free up some space by pulling up for a jumper.

He has good size, but isn’t a very good defender due to his athletic ability and foot speed.

People have compared his game to JJ Redick, but Anthony Morrow is another name that is very comparable to him.

Jenkins also had some big games in college, scoring 17 points and grabbing 7 rebounds to help Vanderbilt beat Kentucky to win the SEC title. Getting the better end of Doron Lamb, who had only 11 points.

Jenkins doesn’t have a great ceiling, but there are very few shooters that are as good as him in the NBA.

March 5, 2011; St, Louis, MO USA; Missouri State Bears forward Kyle Weems (34) reacts after scoring against the Creighton Bluejays in the second half of the semifinals of the 2011 MVC tournament at the Scottrade Center. Missouri State defeated Creighton 60-50. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

First off, Weems is not Sonny Weems brother. Already looked that one up. And Weems is not a sexy prospect. He will be 23 before next season starts, he is better in the post than on the perimeter and doesn’t really have good ballhandling skills.

He is extremely stocky (6-foot-7, 232 pounds) and is good rebounder (7.2 a game) and is a very efficient scorer (15.6 points). His game is really meant for the post, because he lacks the quickness to defend on the perimeter nor the ball-handling skills on the offensive end. Some scouts compare him to Jared Dudley.

Nuggets keep Afflalo

The Denver Nuggets are close to finally securing arguably the most important piece from last season. According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Nuggets will lock up Arron Afflalo to a 5-year deal.

Stein tweeted around 6 p.m. Monday night,

Just going up on ESPN online: Sources say Nuggets and restricted free agent Arron Afflalo agree to five-year deal in excess of $43 million

According to Stein there are bonuses added to the deal that would help it reach $43 million. Afflalo will automatically be penciled in as the Nuggets shooting guard with Andre Miller, Rudy Fernandez and Corey Brewer all getting minutes off the bench.

Miller will get the starting nod at shooting guard on Tuesday when the Nuggets host the Phoenix Suns. Here is how Afflalo’s contract compares to other guards that signed contracts this season.  (more…)