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.

Jan. 21, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Denver Nuggets power forward Al Harrington (7) complains after a call is made during the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

It has been a trying season for the Denver Nuggets, full of injuries, lineup changes and brutally long road trips. The season has had its highlights and lowlights, but with only 15 games left Denver holds a 27-24 record and is currently on the outside looking in on the playoff race.

While it is easy to fault injuries, in-season lineup changes and the coach for the Nuggets lack of success, but the bigger question is this team even talented enough to be a playoff team? It doesn’t have a superstar like Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant or even LeBron James to depend on and their all-around talent level may not be at the playoff level – at least not yet.

Denver does have the size, speed and depth to cause havoc with most teams. However, youth, defensive struggles, the lack of a low-post threat, as well as shooters will continue to be their shortcomings.

Youth 

Not many playoff teams have a rookie in their starting lineups and it would be tough to find a team in the postseason featuring a starting lineup with the oldest player barely 26 years old. But that is where the Nuggets are, and like most young players they will wow you one day and have you scratching your head the next.

Perimeter defense

It’s a little baffling on why Denver struggles on the perimeter defensively. There are some that think it is George Karl’s flawed defense, but somewhere along the line the players have to be held responsible. In Wednesday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors, Andre Miller and Ty Lawson each fell asleep on Jose Manuel Calderon when the ball went in to the paint and both times Calderon was able to get open for a 3-pointer.

Arron Afflalo, who used to be the Nuggets’ defensive stopper, struggled to stay with DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan would work off picks, drive to the basket and attack the offensive glass and by the fourth quarter Afflalo’s frustration was very vivid.

Kenneth Faried continues to go through his rookie struggles and chalk Andrea Bargnani as another veteran big man that had his way with Faried. But it wasn’t just Faried though, Bargnani took advantage of JaVale McGee and Wilson Chandler too. None of Denver’s defenders were aggressive with Bargnani. They let the Raptors’ big man pick and choose his spot and than they would fall for Bargnani’s patent pump fakes.

Lack of a low-post scorer

Quick question, when was the last time a Nuggets’ player drew a double-team? It has been a while, partly because none of Denver’s big men aren’t skilled enough offensively to draw a pair of defenders and the rest of the team is too perimeter oriented. Needless to say, even if the Nuggets make the playoffs they won’t be able to make it far if a team forces Denver into a half-court offense. If this team can’t get out and run it will not be successful.

Lack of shooters

With Rudy Fernandez and Danilo Gallinari both injured, the Nuggets don’t really have any skilled shooters. Afflalo and Lawson are more of set shooters, who work off of their teammates. Wilson Chandler and Corey Brewer are too inconsistent to depend on as 3-point threats. Al Harrington may be only player in the rotation who can stretch the floor, but once again his shot is inconsistent. If Denver’s shooters can’t keep defenders honest, they will see a lot of zones.