Feb 2, 2013; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard/forward Reggie Bullock (35) shoots in the second half. The Tar Heels defeated the Hokies 72-60 at the Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

School: University of North Carolina

Position: Small forward

Size: 6’7 (in shoes)

Wingspan: 6’8.75

Weight: 190

Reggie Bullock developed into a 3-and-D type player for the Tar Heels and looks like he’ll translate well to the NBA. He increased in points, rebounds and assists per game all while becoming much more efficient as an offensive player. He defended the best player on the floor game-in and game-out and thrived because of his size and competitiveness on that end of the floor.

In his junior season, his 3-point percentage raised to 43.6 and he began shooting more comfortably coming off screens and in spot up situations. As a rebounder, he’s solid. He’s not the most comfortable of ball handlers but he knows when to zip the ball across to a teammate for open looks.

He’s not the most athletic player, but he makes up for it with his competitive spirit. He’s not a great ball handler, but he makes up for that with his high basketball IQ. As a freshman and sophomore, he made poor decisions with the ball in his hand, often looking to do something he wasn’t capable of. As a junior, his turnover rate dropped and he became much more comfortable in Roy Williams’ system.

His ceiling in the NBA is limited but he should make for a nice role player for years to come. He’s never going to be an All-Star but he will be a solid contributor and could work his way to a starting role at some point in his career.

How would he fit in with Denver? Well that sort of depends on how the Nuggets view their other young wing players in Evan Fournier and Quincy Miller. As a player he seems to fit the mold of what the Nuggets need: a defensive minded player who stretches the floor with 3-point shooting. The Nuggets’ inability to stretch the floor killed them in their first round playoff exit. That, and they struggled in guarding the perimeter. Bullock might patch some of those holes.

But would he hurt the development of Fournier and Miller? There are a few ways to look at this. If the Nuggets let Corey Brewer walk in the off-season, that’s 24 minutes a game opened up. If Andre Iguodala decides he doesn’t have a chance to win a championship in Denver, that’s another 35 minutes. There’s also the possibility that Denver will select one of the numerous available international players and stash them away for a few years to allow its young guys to develop.

Bullock isn’t the sexiest pick but he’s as close to a sure thing that you can find at the bottom of round one. He’s going to come in immediately, compete on the defensive end and provide floor spacing with his outside shot. And if you’re selection No. 27, isn’t that what you want?

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Apr 4, 2013; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Andre Miller (24) during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports

I don’t like being too hard on a player. Most of the time the criticism a player takes is extremely exaggerated based on a variety of situations. But you can’t really be too hard on Andre Miller, especially after his lackluster performance in the Denver Nuggets first round exit against the Golden State Warriors.

Miller couldn’t stay in front of anyone on the floor. Honestly, I’m not sure if he could stay in front of me. Next year he’s going to be older and even slower. At this point, all he’s really worth is a few post ups. But for the most part, his calling card: his offense, stalls the Nuggets half court game and gets the team no where. Miller-isos are the third worst play to watch in the NBA, trailing only Josh Smith long-2s and the “Kendrick-Perkins-is-in-the-game” play.

But for some reason George Karl loves Andre Miller. And that love really is unconditional. For all of the great things Karl did this regular season, his biggest failure was handing the keys to Miller in late game situations in the playoffs. If Miller remains a Nugget next year, you can guarantee that Karl will blindly play him again in the same situations.

So how can Masai Ujiri stop this chaos? By getting rid of the 37-year-old point guard.

What’s his trade worth? To a sensible general manger, it’s as low as low can get. But to a general manager who thinks Miller will bring veteran leadership as a back up point guard, he has some value. Teams will always be willing to overpay for veteran back up point guards. “Overpaying” for Miller at this point probably means a second round pick. If the Nuggets can sneak a second rounder for Miller, then that’s a win.

Or you could sever ties via waiver, which would be a great relief and excellent way to part ways for a Nuggets fan base who practically despises Miller’s every move. There are plenty of back up point guards, who could fill Denver’s need, available this summer via free agent. Here’s the list:

Unrestricted: Devin Harris, CJ Watson, Nate Robinson, Shaun Livingston, Will Bynum, Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack, D.J Augstin, Chauncey Billups, Chris Paul (welp!), Jerryd Bayless, Keyon Dooling, Derek Fisher (lol), Beno Udrih, Royal Ivey, Nolan Smith, Sebastian Telfair, Jamaal Tinsley (Andre Miller v. 2), Earl Watson, Mo Williams

Restricted: Toney Douglas, Eric Maynor, Charles Jenkins, Pablo Prigioni, Brandon Jennings, Darius Morris, Ben Hansbrough, Rodrique Beaubois, Darren Collison, Jeff Teague

There’s a lot of intriguing players in that list. One of the most intriguing to me is Jose Calderon. Calderon is an excellent shooter and plays well in the pick and roll. He won’t be asking nearly as much as his current contract and could fit well in Denver if he accepted a role as a back up. He adds outside shooting and could play next to Lawson in the two-point-guard set that George Karl seems to like.

No matter what, getting rid of Andre Miller needs to be of the highest importance.

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