Latest SI Mock Draft has Nuggets Taking Lucas Nogueira

May 2, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Denver Nuggets president Josh Kroenke sits outside the locker room after game six of the first round of the 2013 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nuggets 92-88. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix released his third mock draft Friday afternoon. With the No. 27 overall pick, he has the Denver Nuggets selecting Brazilian Lucas Nogueria.

Nogueria is 7-foot in shoes with an enormous 7-foot-6 wingspan. The 20-year-old is ranked as the 24th best prospect according to DraftExpress.com. You can check out his NBA workout video here and below is his DraftExpress scouting report:

Nogueria is a mobile big man with great size who runs the floor well and finishes consistently around the rim. He works well in pick-and-roll sets and can get out in the open floor and finish easy transition buckets.

But his real strength is his rim protecting ability. He blocked 3.3 shots per 40 minutes of action and opponents shot just 11 percent against him at the rim. He’s quick and extremely long, so he has an innate ability to cover a lot of ground. He also provides the ability for Denver to stash him away in the ACB for the next couple of years.

“The Nuggets like to play up tempo,” Mannix writes. “And Nogueira is someone they can develop in that mold.”

In Mannix’s last mock draft, he had the Nuggets selecting Tony Snell from New Mexico.

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