SI has Denver Nuggets taking Tony Snell in mock draft

Mar 10, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; New Mexico Lobos guard Tony Snell (21) attempts a three point shot against the San Diego State Aztecs in the first half of the finals of the 2012 Mountain West Tournament at the Thomas

Sports Illustrated released its 2013 mock draft Wednesday morning, after Tuesday night’s draft lottery.

With the No. 27 pick in the draft, Chris Mannix of SI, has the Denver Nuggets selecting Tony Snell, an athletic wing man out of New Mexico. Mannix calls Snell a “safety net” with the future of Andre Iguodala still up in the air.

“Snell is a rangy 2-guard with decent offensive skills,” Mannix writes. “And the physical tools to be a solid defender.”

The Nuggets will surely be looking to bolster it’s outside shooting this off-season in wake of its disappointing first round exit against the Golden State Warriors. In that series, Denver struggled to shoot the ball from range against the Warriors’ 2-3 zone. The Nuggets’ best perimeter shooter, Danilo Gallinari, tore his ACL a couple weeks before the playoffs and long-range shooting became a huge weakness in Denver’s offense.

Snell, a 6-foot-7 junior out of New Mexico, shot 39 percent from 3-point range in his final season with the Lobos. He’s displayed a smooth shooting stroke at the draft combine and could be available when the Nuggets select at No. 27.

Mannix also writes that Providence’s Ricky Ledo could also be an option at No. 27. Ledo, who never played a game for the Friars after he was deemed academically ineligible before the season, is a 6-foot-6 guard who’s comfortable scoring from anywhere on the court and would provide good ball handling to go along with it.

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